Paths we choose:uprising
by Morgoth995
Summary: AU:(No reapers, Humanity lost first contact war) John Shepard is abducted from his home and sold as a slave. When a strange power awakens within him, he sees this as the chance to destroy "the alien oppressor". However he learns that the galaxy isn't so black and white. Meanwhile forces conspire in the shadows of the galaxy, and he must decide if freedom is the right of all beings.
1. Chapter 1: The beginning

**A/N I don't own mass effect, that is property of Bioware**

**If this seems familiar I was inspired to write this story by Boldfullmetal, I am using this with their permission**

**I will likely use the first chapters written, with my own additions before getting to my original story**

* * *

**The beginning**

* * *

_He looked around a corner of rubble, straight ahead of him he could see two Batarians holding the girls down. The one with white hair was being forced onto the ground with a heavy boot planted squarely on the side of her face, the other was being lifted up by her hair and forced to stare at the other Batarian. _

_Caution was thrown to the wind as he moved forward quickly but silently, holding a knife in a reverse grip in his right hand. The first Batarian barely reacted as the knife severed his hand at the wrist, he did however let out a terrible scream as the knife was driven through one of his eyes before he fell silent. The second Batarian hadn't even raised his assault rifle before the human raised a M-5 Phlanax pistol and fired three shots, the first two depleting his kinetic barriers while the third hit him squarely between his four eyes killing him instantly. _

_He yelled something to the two girls and pointed back in the direction of their farmhouse, they ran back in the direction he pointed telling him something, but whatever was said he couldn't hear it. _

_He looked forward again just in time to see four more Batarians heading towards their farmhouse, undoubtedly attracted by the screams of their comrades. _

_In a flash of blue light, the man was instantly in front of the four, he drove a right hook into the face of one of the Batarians, however instead of merely pushing the Batarian back, the momentum of the blow carried through and crushed the Batarian's head against the wall of the building. _

_The other three were shocked by the show of extra ordinary strength which gave him the chance to drive his foot into the knee of another Batarian, practically breaking his leg in half and sending him to his knees, he then fired his gun into the Batarian's face, killing him. _

_The remaining two began to lift their assault rifles, almost too fast to track, he grabbed the end of one and pushed it away from him, in his surprise the Batarian squeezed the trigger failing to realise that the weapon had been redirected towards his comrade causing him to open fire on the other Batarian, whose kinetic barriers were quickly depleted and he was gunned down. _

_He then gripped the throat of the remaining Batarian and with as much effort as popping bubble wrap, broke his neck. _

_He began to move forward again, placing a new heatsink into his pistol as he did. Suddenly with incredible instincts and speed, he opened fire with his pistol behind him without looking, gunning down another slaver that he somehow knew was there. _

_He ran forward and saw another man crouching behind a makeshift barricade, the man yelled something at him but once again he was unable to recall what was said. He looked over the barricade and saw another group of Batarians heading towards them, he knew what would happen if they got through, how many lives would be lost. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed an avenger assault rifle and ran towards the Batarians, ignoring the man's cries for him to stop. _

_As he charged forward, he felt his rage increase, he would kill all of these invaders, he would make them all pay. _

_He raised a biotic barrier as the Batarians opened fire, their angry expressions changed to shock when it somehow withstood all the rounds, they fired at it. _

_As he reached them, he punched one of the Batarians across the face, his jaw producing a very loud crack, he then grabbed the Batarian's neck and positioned him between himself and the other slavers, using him as a living shield. The Batarians opened fire not caring if they hit their comrade, yet as their guns stop firing and the heatsinks were ejected, he primed one of the grenades still attached to the belt of the now dead Batarian he was holding and used a biotic throw to send the corpse forward into the mist of the other invaders. _

_The explosion killed three Batarians and sent the final one flying against the wall with major burns. _

_He stood over the final Batarian, who was still screaming in pain and brought his foot down reducing his head to paste. _

_Suddenly he felt a wave is exhaustion hit him as he fell to his knees and his vision became blurry, he looked up to see another Batarian raising his rifle before striking him with the butt of it. _

_In his last moment of consciousness, he saw what appeared to be red lightning attempting to travel down a synapse but dying out before reaching the target._

* * *

**Location: Batarian Hegemony slave ship, enroute to the citadel**

**Date: June_2180**

Coughing himself awake, Shepard groaned as reality came crashing back to his body. Bringing with it a world of pain.

He had experienced that dream repeatedly while imprisoned on this ship, and he couldn't remember doing any of those things. In fact, the time between the Batarian's attack and his capture was a complete blank in his memory.

He leaned back sighing, concluding that his dream was just wishful fantasy. Afterall, if he could do the things he had seen in that dream he wouldn't be stuck in this current situation.

"Four hours; a new record... Dream about anything?"

"Dream't I wasn't on a slave ship." John replied sardonically.

"Holy shit," Joker smirked and feigned overdramatic wonderment, "I've been having that dream too!... It's like we're connected."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Shepard resisted the urge to smile. In his weakened condition it hurt to laugh, and he knew if he responded it would only excite him more. As horrible as it sounded, John was glad his best friend had been captured with him. Having a familiar face made going through this misery all the more bearable. God only knew if he'd ever see him again. He hoped he would, but knew it was probably unlikely.

"Anything happened when I was out?"

Jeff looked away, "Ramirez... Ramirez passed away." There was sombreness in his voice, "the squints took his body outta here about an hour ago."

"Shit…" John close his eyes and wearily side. "How'd he go?" He didn't want to know, but needed to ask.

"Opted out… bit off his tongue and bled to death."

John felt his blood begin to boil, "why the fuck didn't anyone notice!? Where the fuck were Johnson and Oliver? Why weren't they watching over him!?" his aggravation sent him into another coughing fit, and he forced himself to calm down "I charged those two with watching over him so shit like this wouldn't happen."

"He went silently, John" Joker shrugged his shoulders and gave him an apologetic look, "no one knew until it was too late besides, it was his choice. You can't blame him for wanting to leave this."

"I don't blame him, Jeff." _I blame myself. _Shepard punched the deck with his fist. With Ramirez gone, the death toll now stood at thirty-two. Running a hand through his greasy unkept hair, he asked. "Any other surprises?"

Jeff came to his side to help him sit up. "Well, Achmed over there thinks he's figured out a way to focus up with free satellite cable." As Joker snickered, John felt his anger subside and shook his head. Sometimes he envied how quickly Moreau could switch gears.

"Funny. Yesterday he told me he could hook me up with three intergalactic calls." They shared a smirk. No matter the situation, sarcasm was always funny. Gesturing to the rest of the slaves with a nod of his head, John asked. "Anyone find out where we're going? Or when we'll get there?"

"Nothing new."

"That's disappointing. Even the sandy deserts of Kar'shan would be a welcome change of scenery."

"Yeah, but I doubt you would enjoy it for very long."

"Kar'shan. You will never find, a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."

A few of the men around them let out snickering chuckles. Resting his head against the cell bars, John tried to calculate how much time they'd spent on the ship. To the best of his knowledge, it had been two weeks since he'd been kidnapped from Mindoir and enslaved. At least he thought it had been two weeks? For all he knew it could have been a month. The passage of time was inexplicably troublesome to determine out in space. More so in their case: trapped in a 20'x20' cell with (now) sixty-eight other slaves. Surrounded by metal walls, no clock, no calendar, lights kept on 24/7 to keep them sleep deprived and disorientated, surviving on one meal a day so they were weak and easy to control. At times the only thing that kept them all from going insane was each other.

God, Jonathan was tired.

Not the, I just spent the entire day fixing the chicken coop tired, but rather the, oh my god, everything hurts, someone please put me out of my misery tired. Glancing at his decrepit, grime and shit covered self, he figured he was half dead already. Though for some reason, life clung to his body like a virulent disease. His family was strong in that sense all seven of his siblings had that stalwart tenacity too. John attributed it to his parents. What with them being N7's and all.

Shepard felt himself warm as happy memories from home flooded his mind. Working the field with his father, is mother teaching him how to cook and hunt, performing one of his mechanical miracles as he fixed a broken machine, sneaking onto the Williams property at night to rendezvous with Ashley in their barn attic… But soon his smile turned to wet, raspy, coughs, as he struggled for breath. It felt like an elephant was sitting on him or maybe one of those Elcor creatures he'd read about in school.

"How's your breathing?"

"If you… If you can call it that." John replied with several heavy wheezes. "Christ… Feels like… Feels like I'm sucking air through a coffee straw."

"Better than sucking something else."

"Dammit, Joker, don't make me laugh." A small smile spread across his lips as he coughed once more. Taking a deep, nasally breath, John turned his head and spat out thick glob of white mucus. "Christ, this isn't good. How's my temperature?"

"How should I know?"

Shepard narrowed his eyes, "just put your wrist on my forehead and tell me. "

Jeff resisted the urge to make some sort of rectal thermometer joke, and dusted the grime off his wrist as best he could, hopefully their captors would spray the cell down with the fire hose soon. God, when did he start looking forward to that? Placing his wrist on Shepard's forehead, Jeff steeled his expression.

"It's bad isn't it?"

"It's not so bad, Shep. You just got a small fever is all; hardly noticeable." Jeff lied. Shepard's body was cold, clammy, and sticky with a thick layer of sweat. "Just need to get some food and water and antibiotics. You'll be right as rain in no time" he said meekly, more to reassure himself as he readjusted John's blanket and massaged his shoulder. "Trust me, you'll be fine."

"You're a horrible liar." John could see the worry in Jeff's eyes and he doubted that the Batarians would be so kind as to give him antibiotics. Hell, they were just as likely to toss him out an airlock as they were to treat him. "You should stay away from me. Don't wanna risk getting you infected."

"Knock it off with that." Joker replied quietly as he lightly swatted John on the back of the head. "Might give people the wrong idea about us"

"So, there's an us now?" Shepard worked his eyebrows in a teasing manner "I'm touched Joker." Covering his mouth as he coughed again, John lifted his blanket to examine his bruised rib cage touching it, he winced in pain. "Four eyed fucks don't mess around."

"You're lucky nothing is broken."

"You mean he's lucky."

Joker sighed and rubbed his forehead, "you know, I distinctly remember warning you not piss off the guards. If you listened to me, your chest wouldn't be looking 50 shades of fucked up."

Rolling his eyes as he traced his fingers over his stomach, John Shepard could feel that his body was already starting to atrophy; cannibalising fat to make up for caloric deficit. The protein in his muscles would be next, and because he was biotic, it wouldn't be long before he was looking like a twig. "At least I'm not the one getting buddy buddy with the squints."

"This is prison rules, Shep. I'm not some freaky giant like you."

"I'm only eighteen. I'm hardly a giant."

"You're 6 feet tall and built like a linebacker. You've got your strengths, I've got my jokes."

"Your jokes aren't very good." John deadpanned.

"You're really gonna argue with me? We got blankets, Shepard… Blankets!"

John raised his hand in mock triumph, "Hazzah! A mighty victory."

"You're like a mob wife you know that?... You look down at me and my ways, but you don't mind wearing the mink coat that fell off the back of the truck."

"Really? Because last week you said I was the brakes."

"That was if we were cars, Shepard. This is if we are mobsters."

"I know which part you'd be if we were a horse." The men around them laughed and snickered. This had been their roles since they'd been captured. John was true to his namesake and acted as a shepherd, making sure it didn't become too much like Lord of the flies. While Joker hammered home the levity to keep up morale. Positive mental games were one of the most precious assets they had left.

"Shit, here comes your new best friend." Jeff hushed as he made himself look like he was minding his own business. "Try not piss him off again."

Jonathan didn't have the energy to respond, but he knew if he didn't act as a lightning rod for the slaver's hostility, the burden would be passed on to everyone else. That was something he just couldn't live with.

"Well, well, well, look who survive the night?" Balak's gravelly dual toned voice was like sandpaper to his ears. He nudged the human with the edge of his boot, looks like Charn owes me 50 credits.

Shepard remained silent and glared indignantly as he wrapped his arms through the cages metal bars. Silence wasn't lost on the slaver.

"What? No witty come back? No scathing retorts?"

Coughing several times as he adjusted his dinghy wool blanket, John flashed a weak smile. "I'm sure your mother is very proud. She'll probably let you have a nice time in her bed for 50 credits."

"Now you've done it." Joker chastised as he moved away.

Balak flicked his wrist, causing the Varren prod in is hand to telescope to its full length. The look of fear on the slave's faces ignited a sadistic fire in his four, beady, black eyes. "Got quite the mouth on you slave" he sneered as electricity arced between the rod's prongs, "were you a female, I'd show you how to put that tongue to proper use."

"Classic overcompensation. You know Balak there is nothing wrong with being gay. In the end you're hurting yourself by sticking to this hetero delusion." After Shepard saw the Batarian was too stupid to understand his jab, he dumbed it down a bit "you have latent homosexual tendencies because you grew up fatherless and watch your mother whore herself to make ends meet… Or who knows? Maybe your mother just likes it."

Balak chuckled and said, "I'm going to miss this." Before hitting him with 75,000 volts of mind-numbing electric pain. He watched with glee as the human flailed silently in agony while his naked body spasmed in torment on the floor. After a few seconds he took the prod away, "anything else?"

Shepard panted and wheezed through clenched teeth as every muscle in his body felt like it had been set on fire. Hocking another wad of mucus and spitting it onto Balak's boot, Shepard sneered triumphantly and gave a defiant look.

"You know fellas… It makes my heart heavy to see the Batarian race sink as low as Balak's mother has. At least if she were a human she'd be ashamed of herself." Some of the other slaves snickered, "but being a squint bitch, she still thinks she is better than the Krogan she sells herself to in the parking lot of the titty bar she works at." The snickers had turned to outright laughter.

"My mother is a bookkeeper, slave!"

"Well she would have to be to keep track of all the guys she sleeps with." John retorted and laughed while he could before he was hit again with the prod. Instantly his body contorted again, and his head thrashed against the bars, cutting open his forehead. Shepard wanted to yell, wanted to scream, wanted to do something, but was paralysed by the pain. He could do nothing but wait for his torment to be over.

In his mind it lasted for an eternity, but in actuality it was only a few moments. Damaged slaves meant less profit, and owners wanted to do the breaking in themselves. Pulling the prod away, Balak hissed. "Care to go for round three?"

Shepard's head pitifully lolled against the bars as blood dripped over his eyes, blurring his vision. "You know… One of these days I'm gonna have a nifty little stick of my own… Just you wait."

"Ha-ha-ha! Such determination! You'll need fire where you're going Mindoirian." John didn't like the friendly turn Balak's tone had taken. "Many lannisters will pay handsomely to add such spirited flesh to their ludi's ranks." Shepard's mind exploded in anguish as Balak electrocuted him again. "Who knows, human? Maybe months from now I'll see you fighting in the sands of my home worlds Coliseum." He pauses his torture for a moment and toothily grins, "and I'll be to say: I knew him when."

"Go… to…Hell"

"Good! Good!" Balak gleefully cheered as he hit the human with the varren prod again and again. This time however, he didn't stop until the human passed out. When the slave moved no more, Balak fished his yellow penis from his trousers, and let go a stream of foul brown piss. As he marked the human on his ugly, inferior, two eyed face, Balak laughed. "Remember, slaves. Your new masters won't be as merciful as I." When the flow stopped, he repositioned his trousers and walked away.

As Balak trotted off to continue his round, Joker would hear the occasional yelp of pain from an unfortunate soul. As horrible as it sounded, he was glad he was male. For them, the occasional electric prodding, beatings and blast from a fire hose was the worst it ever got. He didn't want to imagine what sort of hell the women were going through in the other compartment.

Coughing out a mouthful of blood and Piss, John groaned as he spat out the small piece of his lower lip. Examining the void with his dirty fingers, he fell where he had bitten clean through his flesh. "Fucking prick" his face suddenly contorted in disgust, "oh God what the fuck is that smell? Why am I wet? Did someone piss on me?"

"Yep." Replied someone

Shepard wanted to vomit.

"Hey Shepard." "Not now, Jeff." John replied as he contemplated the gain of drying himself up with his dirty blanket. In the grand scheme of things, he was surrounded by filth and excrement, a little piss would hardly make a difference.

"Shepard?... Shepard …. Hey Shepard?"

John winced as he rolled over to face him, "what?"

"Suck. My. Dick."

The cage erupted with laughter. It didn't matter how stupid it was or if it made any sense, they were all just glad for something to laugh at. Though truth be told, Shepherd wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.


	2. Chapter 2:Fading Embers

**Fading Embers**

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**Location: Citadel docks.**

**Time: June 22nd, 2180**

"Keep moving! Keep moving, slaves!" Balak barked cruelly from atop his supply crate as his omni-whip cracked in the air above. Next to him was his trusty Varren, who'd snarl and chomp at slow moving slaves. "You there!... Whore!... What's taking so long?"

"My name isn't whore. It's Liara T'Soni!" the Asari shot back with disdain, as she treated her patient; a brown skinned human female. Among other things, the slave was suffering from several STI's common to Batarian physiology, and a nasty case of scale itch. "You will address me by my name, Taskmaster, or not at all."

"Why you!…"

Liara turned her back; ending the parley and paid no mind to the hostile glare he gave her. She knew that in Batarian culture it was considered a great insult to be disrespected by a woman, but she didn't care. This was the Citadel, not Khar'shan. As she returned her attention to her scans, unpleasantness crept up her spine as she realized she needed to converse with the foul "man" once more. "This woman needs medical treatment." as she spoke, Liara fought the urge to lose her tongue in anger.

"She's not a woman, Asari... She's a slave." walking over to his collapsed inventory, Balak grumbled at the delay this was causing. "How much?"

"The meds shouldn't be more than six hundred credits." The defeat in the slave's soul-less eyes made her inwardly shudder.

"Six hundred credits." Balak mused with a lazy drawl as he took his inventory's chin in has hand, turning its head from side to side.

The slave had once been a pretty thing, of course that lasted all of five seconds once his crew got their hands on her. A crooked smile came to his lips as the memories of breaking her in played through his mind. How the little thing wiggled like a fish; screaming bloody murder as he forced himself on her for the first time. The silent, open-mouthed, expression of horror plastered across her face, the new sounds she made when he reached the climax. And then that glorious moment when she finally broke; mewling like a proper whore as his crew gang-raped her again, and again, and again. He felt a sadistic grin spread across his face at the joy they had passing her from bunk to bunk each and every night, using her body for nothing more than their own pleasure.

Those were memories he would cherish forever... Well, at least until the next hunt when they would start the process all over again. This galaxy was his oyster, a veritable cornucopia of fresh, nubile, female bodies waiting for him to devour. Blessings be to the pillars; he loved his job!

"Six hundred credits."

"Yes," Liara hesitated, not wanting to know where his mind had gone for such a pregnant pause. "and the hospital stay would only be for a few nights. She'd be ready for sale in no time at all."

"Hmm, six hundred credits... This is cheaper." in one swift motion, Balak drew his pistol and blew a grapefruit sized hole out the back of the slaves head.

Time slowed as the gunshot echoed throughout the dock, and Liara was stunned silent by what had just transpired; a mortified look on her face. Feeling wetness on her cheek, she brought her fingers to it, and then to her eyes for examination. The blue of her fingertips was tinted red, and she saw the slaves body slump to the floor; joined shortly by a pool of blood. Blinking in disbelief, her body trembled in shock as she saw the slaves face looking directly at her; her expressionless, dead, brown eyes piercing her own. It was haunting. Finding her strength, Liara fixed the murderer in a ferocious glare, "Her injuries weren't fatal!" she screamed, "I could have cured her!"

"Sorry, but I gotta turn a profit... And the bitch was too far broken anyway."

The complete lack of remorse in the slavers tone was the final straw. Blood boiling, Liara's body bathed itself in flickering blue light as her biotics flared. Eye's glowing white, she clenched her fist and reared back to warp the slavers face into the next quadrant. But reality came crashing back like a falling meteor when she felt his gun barrel pressing against her temple.

"Now, now. Don't be hasty... I could easily shoot you and tell C-Sec one of the cattle grabbed my gun." Balak sneered as he increased his fingers pressure on the trigger. It audibly tick, tick, tick'd, as the counter pull neared the apex for firing. "All I got to do is trade 'em a few credits and I'll be disposing of two bodies, instead of one."

Liara scowled. She was a medical practitioner, not a commando, and she knew her biotic power fell drastically short of being able to stop a bullet at point blank range. Scowling again, the light around her body faded as the dark energy was recalled into her body's reserves. "Good girl," he chastised with a light slap to her cheek. It made her want to vomit. She knew when she returned home she'd have to scrub herself raw just to feel clean. Activating his omni-tool, Balak raised his wrist to just below his mouth and spoke. "Hey Captain, got another one for disposal."

"Fucking dammit, Balak." Anto fumed as he stopped passing out protein bars and bottles of water to the female slaves. Getting another crewman to take over, he proceeded outside his ship to see the mess that awaited. Glancing at the body on the ground, then to the grimacing Asari, and then to Balak, Anto fixed him in a withering gaze. "What the fuck happened here?"

"Bitch went for my gun, had to put her down." Balak lied and shot the doctor a look that threatened death should she voice different.

Anto crossed his arms and glared incredulously, he didn't believe a word out of this shit eaters' mouth. "Really?... You expect me to believe that this girl, this ninety-pound female, somehow got a hold of your gun….? You. A highly trained Hegemony slaver."

Balak shrugged, "Must have let my guard down."

Anto's gaze flicked to the several other human females leaning against supply crates, "what are they even doing out here, the medical check up is supposed to happen on board"

"You told me to find the merchandise that was in the worst shape so the doc could look at 'm first. So, brought them here so she could check them" Balak responded uncaring while gesturing to Liara "that's when the girl tried to make grab for my gun.

Anto kept his gaze Balak, "So you killed her... Instead of using any number of the less than lethal take down tactics you were trained in. You killed her." Liara looked away uncomfortably.

"Yes, sir." Balak continued with the fabrication as he returned his weapon to his hip, "I was worried for the safety of our guest, sir."

"That so." the scepticism in the captain's baritone timber was so thick you could practically walk on it.

"Yes, sir. Thought it would reflect poorly on the company if any harm came to her. Imagine the scandal it would cause, sir, and the loss of profits to our crew. I mean, who wants to do business with slavers who can't control their inventory?"

Anto blinked. By the pillars, he hated Balak. "Is this true," glancing at the name tag on the Asari's lab coat, "Ms. T'Soni?"

Liara wanted to tell him everything, but knew she shouldn't. If Balak had no qualms over lying to his superiors, she doubted he'd blink twice before having another "accident" arranged for her. Nervously rubbing her hands, Liara looked at the Captain and softly said, "Yes," and repeated Balak's fabrication of events.

Anto sighed. "Balak, you understand that our business is based on the sale of living slaves? Correct?... Key word: Living." he paged two of his men to come and take the body away. "This fuck up has cost me money, but it wasn't my fuck up, and I'm sure as hell not gonna pay for it... Your bonus from this harvest will be deducted to offset the deficit."

Balak clenched his fists in anger but nodded his head. "Very well, Captain."

"And until I say otherwise, Balak, consider your decision-making privileges revoked." bending down to grab the Asari's medical bag, he gestured for her to come with him. "I'm sorry you had to see all this. Please allow me to make up for it by escorting you through my ship."

"Uhm... Thank you." Liara replied with a slight bow. The Captain's sudden gentlemanly nature threw her for a loop, "But I wouldn't want to trouble you, I'm sure I'll be fine on my own."

"It's no trouble at all." Anto replied with a sincere, pearly white smile, and slipped his arm through hers, " I insist." Leading them to his ship, "It's not every day you're in the company of a Goddess." If the circumstances had been different, Liara might have blushed. The Captain seemed the gentle sort; a complete contrast to Balak, and definitively didn't fit the typical disposition of a slaver.

As they walked towards the entrance neither of them noticed Balak's glare trying to burn a hole into the back of Anto's head.

Entering his ship, she was guided to a secluded section, "What are we doing here?" she asked with a tinge of worry. This was a slave ship after all.

"If you need a moment to collect yourself, it's more than alright." the softness in his dual toned voice was, dare she say, pleasant to her ears.

Intention clear, Liara felt herself relax, but only slightly. "I'm fine," she stated with more force than she meant to. After a pregnant pause, she gave the Captain a forced, cordial smile. "I've seen people die... It's nothing new."

"Die yes. Executed... Probably not." he saw her tense at the statement.

Truthfully, doing medical check-ups on new slaves was not something Liara ever thought she would be doing when she was studying to be a medical practitioner. Just 40 years ago slavery was illegal throughout all of Citadel space, practised only by the Batarians.

But then the leadership of the Turian Hierarchy, Asari Republics and Salarian Union changed as previously unknown characters suddenly gained political power, even the members of the Citadel council were replaced practically overnight, these newer heads of state were much friendlier with the previously ostracized Batarians.

Soon slavery was declared legal across Citadel space, and after that the Batarians had been offered a seat on the council. Her mother had told her that there had initially been large protests against this action, but they apparently died down very fast. Liara knew the reason for that was fairly obvious, in truth the only species that suffered from the legalisation of slavery were the newest arrivals.

Humans

Liara felt her resolve crumble away as images of the dead human flooded her mind. Heat growing behind her eyes, her breath became shaky, and she covered her face with a hand and took a deep breath; promising herself that no one else would die on her watch. Exhaling, she forced away her feelings until she could be alone. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine."

"You look it." he said reassuringly and squeezed her shoulder.

She heard the subtle trace of unconvinced-ness in his confident, yet compassionate tone. Looking through her fingers, Liara saw him offering her a handkerchief, and she took it. Dabbing the wetness in her eyes, she sighed. " Thank you, Captain."

"Anto."

Handing the handkerchief back to him, she smiled weakly. "Liara."

"A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet."

She shook her downcast head and actually laughed, "you certainly are a strange one."

"What can I say? Below this proud, masculine, exterior, beats the heart of a true romantic."

"And I'm sure all the maidens swoon when you make port," a half smile spread across her lips, and he shared it, but it soon turned sour. "You know he's lying right... Balak?" Liara didn't know why she felt compelled to reiterate his name. Who else could she have been talking about.

"I'm aware... But there are other forces at play. Forces that are beyond my control at the moment." He could see the spark of curiosity in her azure eyes, but this wasn't the proper time nor place to discuss such things. "Come, let's get to work; shall we?"

"Indeed," making herself presentable, she took her bag and followed him as they moved deeper into the ship. When they came to the hatch that led to the cargo hold, he faced her and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"Why'd you stop?" Liara asked

"Before we enter, I need to make sure you understand a few things." she nodded and he continued, "First: Is that no matter what; you keep a smile on your face, and a reassuring inflection in your voice. These people know the situation, they know what's going to happen to them, and it's in everyone's best interest if we help them remain calm... Second: Is that you focus on doing your job. I know it sounds redundant, but we have one hundred and thirteen slaves aboard this ship; seventy-eight male, and thirty-five female. They will all be asking questions, or trying to glean something from you, but we have a schedule to keep... Third: Is that you never put yourself in a position to take anything away from these people. They've been taken from their homes, their lives, their families, and their opinions on Batarians and Turian's are already skewed. This will most likely be the first time any of them meet an Asari. So don't do anything that could tarnish their view of your people."

"What do you suggest I say?"

"I'm sorry?"

"When they ask me questions. What should I say?"

"You can ignore them if you want, but if you respond, keep your answers brief and to the point."

"Okaaay." Liara shifted in place, wondering what lay ahead.

Anto blinked as he read the subtext in her tone, "This isn't your first time, is it?"

Liara blushed and looked down shyly, "Is it that obvious?"

Anto's hand went to his face and he pinched the protruding ridge below his top set of eyes. With a deep sigh he muttered, "I tell them I need professionals and they send me newbies." below his breath. Fixing her in a cordial gaze, he shifted his weight to his back foot. "Just curious, Doctor. But what do you normally do at the hospital?"

"Oh, I'm not a doctor..." she blushed, "Well, sort of, I mean, not fully anyway."

Anto blinked. "You're not a doctor."

"Yes, I mean no." Liara tried to formulate herself better, "What I mean to say is that I'm an intern at Huerta memorial hospital."

"An intern." he deadpanned

Liara blushed violet again, "Well, intern is sort of a misnomer. I'm actually in the final years of my residency training program."

He blinked, "A simple yes or no will do, Liara. Are you a doctor?" he tried to keep the annoyance out of his tone.

She stood a bit straighter as her qualifications came under fire, "I'll have you know I graduated top of my class at Thessia University, and I'm more than capable of treating a vast array of medical maladies... But to answer your question, no," her eyes narrowed at him, "I'm technically not yet a fully licensed physician. Though I will be when my residency is completed."

"Sorry, I meant no offense." Anto apologized with raised hands, "I just wanted to make sure you weren't like some kid earning college credit or something." a moment later he added, "And for the rest of today, if someone ask's if you're a doctor, just say yes."

"I don't think it's appropriate but alright." gesturing to the door with a nod of her head, "Is there anything else?"

"No. Just keep what I told you in mind, and if all goes according to plan we should be done in about two hours."

"Great!" Liara tried not to sound so enthused.

With a hiss of pressurization, the hatch opened and the two walked inside. The room itself was nothing of note, just a simple corridor with a modest sized cage along the starboard wall. Seeing the table set up for her, Liara turned her eyes to see thirty-five naked females and gave them a cordial smile. Besides her and Anto, there were five other Batarians dressed in fabric uniform fatigues; one at each of the room's doors, and three standing guard at the table. On each of their tool-belts was a collection of mace, hard light cuffs, electro batons, and a holstered stunner pistol.

Anto was the first to speak.

"Alright listen up!" the sudden forcefulness in his tone shocked Liara, and the stern expression on his face was a complete contrast to the man she had previously met. "The Asari next to me is, Doctor Liara T'Soni. She will be conducting your medical examination before you are taken to out processing; where you'll receive a hot shower, fresh clothes, and a warm meal." she saw relief wash over a few of the slaves faces at the mention of that. "We will be calling out numbers in groups of five. If your number is called; stand up, and in a calm and orderly fashion, proceed to the cell's entrance... Do Not Try Anything!... The quicker this goes, the quicker you can get your shower and meal... Dr. T'Soni."

Liara jumped slightly at being called upon, but continued. "Hello, it's nice to make your acquaintance. I know you're probably wondering what this examination entails; but do not worry... It is a non-invasive medical scan. See," she raised her omni-tool and scanned one of the guards, "It doesn't hurt. All I'm doing is checking your vitals and making sure you aren't bringing any viral contagions onto the Citadel... When I'm finished, I will give you an immune booster and send you on your way."

"Right! Let's begin!"

As things proceeded calmly without incident, Liara was struck by the utter diversity of the human race. The females skin colouring ran the spectrum from pale "ghostly" white, to dark obsidian black, and their body types and fringe colouring were just as varied. There were blondes, brunettes, black heads, red heads, orange heads, brown heads... Tall ones, short ones, skinny ones, fat ones, ones with big breasts, ones with small breasts, ones with wide childbearing hips, ones with narrowed waists...

Belonging to a very homogenized race like the Asari, it never failed to amaze Liara just how different humans could be from one another. And much to her surprise, her scans told her that, for the most part, the women were in generally decent health. She figured the slavers kept them in such condition as most would be sold into the service industry; working as maids, waitress's, shop keepers, or hospitality workers. Or, if they were lucky, sold to a wealthy family looking for a domestic.

However, Liara prayed none would be so unlucky as to not be bought at market. If that happened, only three possibilities remained. They would either be killed, sold into the sex trade, or worse, shipped off to the seedier parts of the galaxy to become brood mares. That thought made her shiver, she couldn't imagine being forced to carry a child for someone she didn't love.

An hour later, she finished examining the female slaves. Cracking her neck and raising her hands above her head she yawned. Seeing two of the guards leering and chuckling at her puffed out bosom, Liara blushed and quietly readjusted her lab coat to cover herself. With a sigh, she made a mental note to avoid bending over. Looking to Anto as he came back, she asked, "everything go well?"

"Very," shooting a glance of disapproval at his men for their sophomoric lechery, he continued. "No incidents, no escapes, everyone's been processed."

"I know I should probably already know this, but what exactly does processing entail?"

"It's different for the genders," he ordered his men to get the males ready, "but generally speaking; out-processing is where the slaves are cleaned, branded, implanted, and prepared for sale."

"Branded? Like with a hot iron or something?"

"Pillars no!" Anto laughed at the childlike question. "That would just be cruel and unusual," he tilted his head, "though, some slave merchants still use that outdated practice. Most of the galaxy prefers the standard tattoo system however, much harder to remove; easier to read."

"How's it done?" a bashful expression spread across her face at her innocence.

"You remember those numbers we called out?" she nodded, "Well those are the slaves' new identification tags. When they get to processing, they stick their left arm into an inking machine and it tattoo's the number onto the inside of their left forearm," he rose his arm to show her, "right below the elbow. And when they're sold, a bar-code is tattooed onto the back of their necks with all the pertinent information; Owner, name, blood type, ect..."

"I see..." there was a pregnant pause. Liara had never considered getting a tattoo. She didn't have anything against the practice; many of her classmates had elected to get tribal bands and facial markings. She just preferred to keep herself unmarked like her mother. "And the implants?"

"Many of the slaves we capture come from worlds where you'd be lucky to find an omni-tool. So while the humans are receiving their tattoo's, the machine injects a sub-dermal, Universal Translator implant into the base of the ears." he saw the look of worry flash across her face, "Don't worry, it's all very painless."

"I'll take your word for it. Are there any other implants?"

"Just a tracking chip." Anto replied as his omni-tool beeped, letting him know the men were ready. "We like to keep our slaves as much of a 'blank slate' as possible so their new masters can customize them as they see fit," a slight annoyance tugged at his brow as he saw more questions swim into the doctor's mind. But as they were ahead of schedule, he didn't see the harm in answering a few more inquires.

"Forgive my innocence, and I know it isn't very common among humans, but what if a slave is biotic?"

"It's rare, but if they're biotic and they have an amp, then they're fitted with a dampening collar. And the machine tattoo's a large blue star with two chevrons inside a circle on their left shoulder. Here, I'll bring it up." opening a window on his omni-tool, Anto shows her the design. "We actually have a few biotics in the next cell."

"Really?"

The enthusiasm in the Asari's frilly voice made him laugh. "C'mon, I'll show them to you."

* * *

**000**

* * *

Hearing the hatch open and seeing an Asari enter, Joker was struck speechless by her beauty. Normally, Jeff, like the majority of humanity, wasn't into that sort of thing. You could call it a systematic case of learned xenophobia or whatever, but ever since the war, practically every human considered aliens about as sexually appealing as rotting fruit. However, after spending weeks in bondage surrounded by nothing but naked men, a female, any female; even an alien, was a most welcomed sight.

Kneeling at Shepard's side, Jeff gently shook his shoulder. "C'mon buddy, wake up. You're not gonna believe this."

Pulled from slumbers sweet embrace back to a world of torment, John let out a muted cough into his blanket. With a cracked voice he weakly whispered, "Tell me."

"There's an Asari... I think they're transferring us somewhere. Can you move?"

Shepard tried to force himself to stir, but even the tiniest of movements sent a dull, throbbing ache through his mind. It was like his bones had become as brittle as glass. After a second or two, his head lolled against the deck platting in the approximation of no. He tried to open his eyes, but they were bruised and swollen shut; a parting gift from Balak. He could only squint, and his vision was blurry at best.

Looking at the Asari standing next to the Captain, Joker judged from her white lab coat that she was a medical professional of some sort. Dread instantly flooded the humans mind as he had a good idea what would happen to a slave in Shepard's dilapidated condition. "John, you need to move." he whispered with hushed urgency as the Batarians began giving them orders.

But Shepard knew his friend was asking for the impossible. His body was broken, his spirit depleted, and that fire; which'd once been his will to survive, was nothing more than a dwindling candle flame. Every breath was a struggle, every muscle movement, an arduous battle. That proud, defiant man who'd been captured was gone, replaced with little more than a fading echo of his former self.

"... I'm done, Jeff." was all Shepard could meekly mutter in defeat before unconsciousness claimed his weary body once more.

"Fucking hell you are," Joker muttered with a fire and called for one of their friends to help stand him up. "I did not come all this way, watch you sacrifice yourself for everyone else's wellbeing, just so you could give up so close to the finish." As they lifted John's limp body upright, Jeff whispered into his ear, "You will not give up. You hear me, John?"

"You. Will. Not. Die."

* * *

**000**

* * *

Entering the room, Anto once again gave his small speech to the slaves, and once again she said her part; this time a little bit more prepared and took her seat. Not a second after she had sat down, slaves were being brought for inspection. The crew was clearly not wasting any time.

As the first group of five stood before her, she was sickened by the deplorable conditions the males had been kept in. Unlike the female cage; which had bunk-beds and a few simple lavatories for sanitation, the males had no such amenities. They slept on unforgiving deck platting, had tatty blankets to keep warm, had a few metal buckets to do their business in, and were fed via a trough. And from their dirty and smelly appearance, keeping them sanitary hadn't been a priority.

By the Goddess, livestock was treated better.

It was of no surprise then that their health was just as abhorrent as their living conditions. Many had lesions on their bodies, their immune systems showed they'd recently combated a viral pathogen, and they were all malnourished. However, like the females, none of the males she had so far examined were in need of emergency treatment. Just bed-rest, fluids, and three-square meals.

"How's it looking, doctor?"

As she cleared the third group, Liara yelped in surprise at the hand on her shoulder. She saw that Anto was saying something, but she had been so preoccupied in her work that she missed it. "I'm sorry. What did you ask?"

"How. Are. They. Looking?"

She hated when people talked to her in a slow, elongated way, like she was some little schoolgirl. "They're in rough shape... Very rough shape." she repeated, and her tone turned unfriendly, "I strongly urge you to reinvest some of your profits into installing some new systems aboard your ship."

"Such as?" Anto mused as he crossed his arms.

"For starters, you can duplicate all the amenities you have in the females cage into the males." administering disinfectant and bandaging a sore on a slave's leg, "These lesions are completely preventable, and when left untreated, can become infected; killing the host. As a slaver, I'd imagine you'd want to keep your cargo alive."

"Don't you think we've tried this?"

"Excuse me?"

"Originally, both cells had much more. But do you know what happened?" it was a rhetorical question, "The males tore apart the bed frames to make knives and attacked my men, even killed a few... So, the beds were removed." he paused and gestured to the food trough, "We used to provide the slaves with wooden bowls and spoons, but they'd grind them down into shivs... So, they were taken away." he gestured with a head nod to the back of the cell, "The males used to have a latrine, but it was taken out after they broke it apart and used the plumbing to make a primitive gun."

"By the Goddess!" Liara had a stupefied look upon her face, "What did they use for ammo?"

"They lifted a pen, and a lighter from one of my guards."

"And the propellant?"

An expression of wonder and praise spread across Anto's face, "They found a way to collect and pressurize the methane from their excrement." Liara's hand went to her mouth, "The gun may have killed one of my men, but it's construction was quite imaginative given the slaves limited access to resources." after a sigh he added, "Believe me when I say this, Doctor: Never underestimate a human's inventiveness when death is on the line."

"I'll keep that in mind." Liara replied with a little tinge of embarrassment and went back to work.


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to the Citadel

**A/N This is my first attempt at a story so am fine with constructive criticism or story ideas**

* * *

**Welcome to the Citadel**

* * *

_He could feel the black void starting to envelop him. He somehow knew that this was it, this was the end, so he stopped struggling and prepared for the darkness to envelop him. Then like before he saw the bolts of what appeared to be red lightning once again attempting to travel down a synapse, illuminating the darkness as it went. Once again it died out before getting far, as it faded he thought he could hear a quiet, rasping voice._

"_Not…. Yet…."_

* * *

**Location: Citadel docks.**

**Time: June 22nd, 2180**.

Shepard came crashing back to reality as he felt a several sharp stabs below his right ear. Coughing and opening his eyes, the light momentarily blinded him as he felt something implanted under his skin. Although John was relieved that he could once again see, the relief was fleeting as he found himself secured to an unknown machine. "Where; what the hell," he struggled against his unyielding binds and heard several angry electronic beeps.

"Calm down, John. Just calm down," came Jokers voice from his side with a reassuring squeeze of his shoulder. "Told you you'd make it."

At the same time as the device was stabbing his skull, John felt tiny needles rapidly jabbing into his left shoulder; buzzing like hundreds of furious bees, but he ignored it all in lieu of answers. "What's going on?"

"You're being processed... Welcome to the club, Shepard; One of us, one of us, one of us," a few of the more mirthfully inclined slaves repeated the chant until a pissed of Batarian told them all to shut the fuck up. Which only served to reaffirm Jokers secret hypothesis that this was their species default state.

"Processed?"

"Yup. Just close your eyes and think of England."

"Not funny."

"Really, cause I thought so," Jeff snickered as he watched the machine tattoo a blue star onto his buddies' shoulder. "By the way, how you feeling?"

"Like shi-" John's voice died in his throat as his mind registered his bodies condition. Instead of the searing pain he was used to, now there was only a dull throb. "Actually... I feel pretty good; Kinda like I'm floating on water."

"I'll tell the doc you like the cocktail she worked up."

Shepard's face squirreled in confusion, "Cocktail? Doctor? What the hell are you talking about, Jeff?" Joker slid the small medical drone hovering above his friend into his line of sight. "What the fuck is that?" Shepard asked. With his eyes, he followed the thin plastic tube coming from the drone's base to his slung, broken right arm.

"I call him squishy," Jeff gently poked the I.V. bag and the drone shifted out of reach, "and he shall be mine, and he shall be my squishy."

"You're daft, Jeff. You know that right?" John deadpanned and shot his aloof friend a look. "Seriously, what happened?"

Jeff crossed his arms; a smile on his lips. "So you don't remember falling head first into an Asari's lap, and then attempting to woo said maiden?"

"You're making this shit up." John deadpanned once more.

Joker's shoulders bounced as he laughed. "The sad thing is... I'm really not."

"Oh, good he's awake," said a feminine voice Shepard didn't recognize; interrupting their banter. "How are we feeling, Mr. Shepard?"

As his head was immobilized by the device, John could only look out the corner of his eyes to see her. He couldn't see much; only the white of her lab coat, but whoever this woman was, her melodious soft sweetness was like silken honey to his ears, making him feel like he'd been wrapped in the warmest blanket imaginable. He just knew she had to be strikingly beautiful. An angelic voice like hers could only belong to a creature who was just as exquisite. And best of all it didn't have any dual-toned rumble, no gravely gruffness, it was a dead ringer for human.

"Better than before," John mustered up what confidence he could; which was hard given his current predicament. "I take it I have you to thank for that?"

"He doesn't remember?" Liara questioned, almost playfully as she stepped into his line of sight. When he saw her, Shepard's heart thumped, similar to the way it did when he was with Ashley. But that couldn't be right? The woman was Asari; an Alien! So why did he suddenly feel stunned by her Beauty? It was the drugs! It had to be the drugs!

Joker could read Johnathan like an open book, and Moreau shook his head with a smile at the unfolding comedic situation. Shepard was becoming attracted to an Alien. A human and an Asari. The romance was so cliched and oxymoronic that thousands of trashy teenage dime novels had been written on the subject. But what the hell. What was one more? "Nope, he doesn't remember a thing."

"Remember what?" John asked with a hint of curiosity.

Liara's face blushed purple and she quickly stated, "Nothing." with a small amount of embarrassment. Exchanging a quick glance with Joker, she continued, "anyway, I'm glad to see that you're once again among the land of the conscious, Mr. Shepard."

"What happened?" John was rather annoyed, feeling like the butt of some joke. The machine whirred as the arm tattooing his shoulder stopped, moved with mechanical precision to his forearm, and started again. Looking at his clean tan skin, (how that happened he didn't know), he watched as 00655321 was inked into his flesh. He needed answers, "How did I get here?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Liara asked, ignoring his question.

"I remember..." but nothing of the recent events came, and that scared him. "It's all very hazy. I remember the ship shaking as it stopped, then there's a blank, then I'm being lifted up by Jeff, and then another blank, and now I'm here."

"Don't worry. Short term memory loss is common."

"Common? Common for what?"

"For someone in your condition."

"Someone in my condition?" John felt very much like a child. "Can someone please just tell me what's going on?"

"It's alright, relax." Liara hushed soothingly as she touched his arm and saw his tense muscles ease. "You're under my care, Mr. Shepard. I promise I will do everything in my power to help you."

John had had enough, "I'll relax once someone tells me what's going on!"

His tone was firm and demanding, and the sudden life in his voice took Liara by surprise. Casting a nod his way, she saw no harm in relenting to his request. "You are suffering from untreated bacterial pneumonia, starvation, dehydration, and scale itch."

"Christ," Shepard sighed. If he could, he'd have massaged his forehead with his hand. Acting fast to supersede any of Jeff's jokes, he stated firmly, "I didn't fuck the Varren."

"No, of course you didn't." Liara deadpanned and glared at Joker. She may have only known the human for a brief few hours, but that was more than enough to get the gist of his 'entertaining' personality. "As the virus is transmitted via bodily secretions, I suspect you were infected when the beast bit down on your right forearm."

Joker shivered. The sickening, bone snapping, crunch of Shepard's arm was a sound he'd never forget. "Thanks for reminding me." he groaned.

"Apologies."

"Pneumonia." John stated, not wanting to dwell on the past, he took a deep breath and found himself able to. "It's gone then?"

"Not entirely," Liara replied. The machine *dinged!* as it finished, and the restraints came undone. "When you collapsed onto the floor, the fluid in your lungs shifted and blocked your airway. To keep you from drowning, I performed an emergency Biotic-Pneumocentesis. That's where I…."

"Use biotics to form a mass effect field around the lungs and gently squeeze; then transport the fluid up the oesophagus and out through the mouth." Shepard idly stated, "It's like ringing out a saturated kitchen sponge. The real trick is leaving enough moisture in the lungs so they aren't damaged." With his head now free, he saw the look on their faces.

"Yes." Liara said with surprise, "How'd you…."

"When your livelihood is tied to your livestock's well-being, and you can't afford to wait several days for a vet to come, you tend to learn a lot of useful medical knowledge." massaging the fresh tattoo on his forearm, John turned his shoulder and examined the big blue star. "If I didn't have this blasted dampening collar, I would've performed the procedure on myself weeks ago."

"Fascinating..." Liara couldn't help the amazement that flooded her synapses. Less than a few hours ago the human was near death, but now he looked rather spry. "Well, I've started you on fluids, and your broken bones will be properly mended at the hospital... If you'll excuse me. We'll talk again later." with a respectful bow of her head, Liara stepped away.

After she left, John looked at Joker. "Hospital?"

"You and about a dozen others are being transferred to Huerta Memorial for treatment and recovery." Seeing a Batarian come over, Jeff helped him to his feet and they moved over to the waiting zone. "Then it's off to market."

"Didn't know Squints cared so much."

"They don't." Jeff eased him into a sitting position and made sure John stayed upright.

"Then how?"

"Doctor Liara T'Soni." Jeff nod his head in her direction, "You owe her your life, Johnathan. If it wasn't for her intervention and quick thinking, you'd be floating out an airlock." Joker lightly thumped him on his forehead, "So don't be a smart ass."

"I thought that was your gig," Shepard smirked. After a pause, "How'd she swing that miracle?"

"Among other things, she agreed to a dinner date with the Captain... So you really owe her big time."

"And you? You're coming with me, right?"

Jokers expression darkened, "I uhh... I'm actually going straight to market. But I'm sure I'll see you around; the station can't be that big. Don't worry, I'll land on my feet."

"You always do." John lightly punched his shoulder. Neither of them wanted to think about what the future held. Even if they somehow managed to escape, neither of them knew how to pilot a ship. Let alone navigate the several mass relay jumps it would take to get them back to, Mindoir. And as it wasn't in their character to kill innocents, hijacking was out of the question. All in all, escaping from a massive floating space station was a moot point. So why bother wasting energy on pipe dream impossibilities?

Shepard sighed at these thoughts and took what enjoyment he could from his deep breaths. It was amazing how the ability to once again breath had reinvigorated him. Doctor Liara T'Soni. He committed the name to memory. He would find someway to repay her kindness. It didn't matter that she wasn't human, his father had raised him to be an honourable man.

"Shepard's always repay their debts."

His father's voice wafted through his mind as it spoke the family creed. John knew it seemed antiquated in this day in age, it was an old-world kind of sentiment, but that's what you get when your mother's a former Navy Admiral, and your fathers a former Marine General. Old world upbringing. He smiled to himself at that, as a food cart was brought around. The Lion of Elysium and the Butcher of Torfan. What an odd pair his parents made.

Brushing his long, unkempt, black locks back with a hand, he inhaled the aroma steaming off the bowl of meat porridge handed to him. John licked his lips, "Never thought I'd be so happy to see food."

"No kidding." Joker gave a huff in agreement and they ate in relative silence. As he ate, John watched the comings and goings of daily Citadel life. Things here were so very different from home. He felt much like a pilgrim in an unholy land.

But as all good things must come to an end, so too must this respite, and half an hour later, Shepard bid Joker farewell and good fortune. Boarding the medical transport, it amused him that Liara took the seat next to his; rather than one of the other empty seats. The shuttle shook as it lifted off, and John watched the ship, that ripped him away from his life, fade into the distance. "Thank you."

"For what?" asked Liara.

"For being a good person," John looked broodingly out the window, "haven't met many." he flashed her a weak smile, "as you can probably imagine."

"I hope that changes."

"So do I." he took her hand in his and gently squeezed, "Thank you."

The doctor blushed at the sudden contact and patted the back of his hand, "rest easy, Shepard. Save your strength. Focus on getting better."

He let out a singular cough and looked out the window at the numerous skycars whizzing by. So alien to anything he'd grown up with. "How long till we get there?"

"Depending on traffic; forty minutes give or take."

"That long?"

"This isn't an ambulance."

Shepard silently nodded, "Any idea how long I'll be staying?... Generally speaking, the longer you stay in a hospital, the greater the chance for secondary infection."

"You'll be admitted for a week or two. And you needn't worry about infection, our facilities are automatically sterilized every five hours by a concentrated ultraviolet blast." Liara saw the worry on a few of the slaves faces and reassured, "It's perfectly safe, unless of course you're a single celled organism," she giggled but it turned dry as her humour wasn't shared by the rest of them.

"And then? After I'm healed?"

"Then you'll be transferred back into Captain Anto's care, and then brought to market I suppose."

"Captain Anto..." Shepard let out a low growl at the name, "Heard you got a date with him; you have my sympathies."

"I don't think he's such a bad man."

"I'll be sure to express your opinion of him to the dozens of families he and his cronies ripped apart back on Mindoir," Shepard stated in an extremely scathing tone. Liara adverted her eyes from the hostile glare Shepard gave her, "Sorry... I didn't mean... Sorry." Of course the human would have a different opinion. "Anyway, it's just one date. It's not like I offered to sleep with him."

Shepard and a few of the other humans laughed at her statement.

"So how'd you swing this with your superiors? If you don't mind my asking?" John heard Daniel ask, "I can't imagine any hospital administrator would approve taking in twelve sick humans free of charge."

"Huerta Memorial is first and foremost a teaching hospital," Liara replied, relaxing slightly as she grew more comfortable around them. "The experience our interns would gain from treating you would more than offset the cost of your beds and medications."

"Yes," Daniel raised his hand in contrasting thought, "but like every hospital in the galaxy, the bottom line is still priority."

"I didn't realize humans were so cynical," Liara tried not to take offense at the human's insinuations.

"Yes. Because we have so much in this galaxy to be positive about," Daniel responded sarcastically.

"Daniel here was a cardiologist at Horizon Memorial," Shepard offered up, "Had a promising future as a heart surgeon. Well, before the Batarian's got to him anyway."

"Wait, you're a doctor?" Laira didn't know why she sounded so surprised. Many of her colleagues were human slaves. Maybe she just preferred to remain blissfully ignorant of the slave trade. Perhaps shattering her illusions was why Dr Solus had chosen her to go to the docks.

"Doctor Daniel Abrams, at your service Dr T'Soni."

"Easy, Daniel, I saw her first," Shepard smiled warmly at the way his statement made Liara blush. He didn't think he could be attracted to an Alien, but Liara was definitely the cutest one he'd met.

"All's fair in love and war my friend."

Shepard rolled his eyes as Eric spoke up, "You'll have to forgive them if they come on too strong, Dr. T'Soni. You're the first woman we've been in contact with for several weeks. Everyone's just a little…."

"Horny?"

"I was gonna say on edge, Mathews. But horny works if you wish to be vulgar."

Shepard shook his head with a smile and grabbed control of the situation. "From what I understand, fellas, the good doctor here did us a kindness. Let's not repay her favour with crass diatribe, and lowbrow high-jinx." Liara watched all of them begrudgingly utter various degrees of agreement. A minute later, Shepard felt woozy and slumped in his seat, "What... What was in that I.V.?"

"Just normal fluids, mixed with a high grade anti-biotic and mild sedative drip. Why?"

"That sedative's doing the trick..." sleep filing his lids, Shepard relapsed in to unconsciousness once again and Liara yelped. For the second time today, she had a human in her lap. She wanted to move him, but he looked so peaceful. Not to mention that once he'd been cleaned up, was actually rather handsome. Many of her friends back home would be envious of her position. A small blush rose to Liara's face as she recalled his attempt to woo her.

After he'd slammed face first into the floor, she'd taken him onto her lap like he was now, and applied medigel to his broken nose and swollen over eyes. When the swelling abated, they saw each other clearly for the first time. His deep, ocean blue depths piercing her pale blue own. It may have been her fluttering maiden heart, yearning at the contact, but in that moment, time seemed to stand still.

"Are you okay?"

"You are so beautiful it hurts."

"It's your face that hurts silly."

"I think it's my heart."

Liara blushed again as she ran her blue fingers through his hair. Getting 'hit on' as the humans called it, was such a rare occurrence for her. Normally it only happened once in a blue moon, but today she'd been wooed by two separate individuals. A handsome human slave, and a strikingly gentlemanly Batarian slaver. By the goddess! What lowly state was the galaxy coming to when a shy, nerdy bookworm like her had become an object of amorous desire?

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Time: June 22nd, 2180**

**Huerta memorial**.

"I've studied species Turian, Asari, and Batarian," Dr Mordin Solus lowly sang as he moved about his clinic; treating the sick and dying. "Ahh doctor. Need new tissue cultures for Krogan patient in room 5," he said to his human slave, Dr Karin Chakwas.

"I'll have one of the med students do it," the silvered haired female promptly replied as she treated a Drell suffering from Kepral's Syndrome.

"Good, good," and with that, Mordin was off, humming again. "I'm quite good at genetics, daa da da dadaaa," he stabbed an unconscious scarred Krogan in the neck with a particularly large injection needle. "My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian, I am the very model of a scientist solariaaa."

"AGHHHH" the Krogan groaned, sounding like he was finishing the doctor's song.

"Ahh Wrex. Good timing." Mordin chuckled as he furiously tapped a data console. "Must reconsider offer of joining barbershop quartet."

"How did I get here?" the old battlemaster rumbled as he looked around.

"Fight with Vorcha in wards. Many Vorcha. Many teeth-"

"Tiny teeth."

"Many claws-"

"Tiny claws."

"Cause that may be; suggest alternate battle strategy. Jumping off three story building. Tch, Tch, Tch, Tch, Tch, Tch, Tch, Tch," Mordin's tongue clicked rapidly in his mouth. "Landing, not good for senior citizen knees, or... head," he gave a wide, thin lipped, Salarian smirk. "But congratulations on new scar. Very fetching."

"Heh... Heh... Heh," Wrex deeply chuckled, "didn't know you cared."

"No, no, no. Mistake care for compassion; repeat customer, good for business, keeps the lights on. Allows me to treat others considered strays by society."

"Mordin, dispatch just called. Liara's transports five minutes out." Karin yelled across the room.

"See Wrex. More strays. Excuse me. Must collect med-students, hands on knowledge vital to creating healthy learning environment."

"Yeah, yeah, go on and play."

Mordin looked offended, "It's not play, Wrex. It's science! Muwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

As Solus left, Wrex gave a sideways glance to Karin. "Is it just me, or is Mordin becoming more of a mad scientist everyday?"

"He's an eccentric one, I'll give you that."


	4. Chapter 4: Hospital Stay

**A/N **Words in _Italics_ indicate internal thought

Also, I am following Boldfullmetal's example and will be adding the Raloi I have an idea how to use them later. Further on in the story the Yahg will also come into play

Please review and comment

**Hospital Stay**

**Location: Citadel docks, Hegemony slave ship.**

**Date: June 25th, 2180**

**Time: 1730 hrs CST (Citadel standard time)**

Standing before his private washroom's mirror, Anto's lips curled into a cocky grin as he gazed upon his handsome reflection. It was date night for the forty-seven year old Captain, his first "proper" courtship in nearly two years, and he wanted to leave his Asari paramour with a lasting impression. It was why, that for tonight, Korragan was doing away with Hegemony regulations; opting for his finest suits, rather than his state mandated officers' uniform.

Buttoning up his white silk undershirt, he knew what he was doing wasn't a small violation either. The Hegemony had a long and well documented history of brutally torturing, and publicly executing those who dared to think, speak, or act above their caste. Anto was no fool, he knew that watchful eyes were hidden everywhere on the Citadel. Millions of eyes, all looking to make quick coin in the eternal Eezo rush that was: Information Brokering.

Tonight, those ever-present eyes would see him with Liara, and as sure as the setting sun, word of his infraction would undoubtedly get back to the Hegemony. But given his families loyalty, heritage, and caste standing, the government would send a re-education officer for a friendly sit down first, rather than the nefarious Black Hand to make him quietly disappear. That was the funny thing about the caste system. There were families you could kill, and families you couldn't. Now the Korragan's were somewhere in the middle ground. It was a grey area. But as long as Anto kept profits high and payed tribute to the right people, minor violations could be forgiven, or even forgotten.

You just couldn't make a habit of it.

Hearing his cabin door open, Anto broke from his reverie and hurriedly tucked his shirt into his trousers. Exiting the washroom, he saw his XO standing by his desk. Normally this wouldn't have been cause for concern, but given that they've been in deep space for over a month, the fact that Bray was here, rather than out looking for a hooker to spend the night with, was troubling.

"Well don't you look fancy. Like a shiny new credit chit."

"Come to see how the better half lives?" Although his tone was cordial, Anto's underlying timber hinted that unless the ship was moments away from catastrophe, whatever petty crisis his XO had could wait.

"You know, I never understood why you waste money on all these fancy suits."

"It's a little thing called class, and they're not a waste of money."

"Says you." feeling the incredibly soft velvet of his Captains obsidian dinner jacket, "How much this cost?"

"Around eight thousand," taking a seat on his couch, Anto got his shine kit and went to work on his shoes. Buffing them to a mirror like sheen before putting them on. "But you can't put a price on quality."

Bray crossed his arms, shifted his weight to his back foot, and mumbled, "By the pillars; eight thousand... You should 'a put the money into gun mods, or a new set of armour. Hell, even a high-end escort would've been a better investment... You can't do anything with clothes. You can't eat 'em, you can't fight in 'em, and you can't fuck 'em." glancing at the label on the jacket, "Gieves and Hawkes... sounds human."

"It is."

Bray stared in utter disbelief, "You know buying human made products is forbidden."

Anto sighed at the patronizing animosity, "When the Hegemony starts making quality suits, then they'll get my business. But until such time, I'll invest in those who know how to weave a fine piece of thread."

"By the Pillars." Bray shook his head, "Why?"

"You just come here to chew my ass? Or have you got something to report?" Anto interrupted as he stood and donned his dinner jacket. "Cause you're making me late."

Bray huffed indignantly, "Just thought you'd might wanna know that Charn and Balak came back to the ship."

"Last time I checked, we're not their parents and they don't have a curfew... Let me guess. Balak is competing in another fight down in the Pit tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Bray smirked, his expression then turned to a scrutinizing one "Seriously though, ya gotta wonder where a street rat like Balak learned how to fight like that."

Anto's sarcastic timber was back. "Who cares where he picked up his skillset, especially when we can make good credits off them "

"Ain't that the truth. Remember how much money we won when he beat that Krogan the last time we were here." Bray had a shit eating grin plastered across his face. However, he soon gained a more serious expression "Balak also been sending a lot of messages today, can't trace where they're going to though."

Anto chuckled as he stepped over to his arms locker, "Unless Balak has found a Hegemony higher-up that would be willing to give him the time of day, I don't see how any of this is my concern," placing his hand on the palm scanner, the weapons locker opened to reveal its assorted collection of arms.

"Balak is smarter than your giving him credit for. You shouldn't underestimate him, Anto."

"Fair point. But Balak has a few small issues, like his sadistic tendencies, that prevent him from gaining an understanding of the true politics of our line of work. Wouldn't you say?" Anto replied with snarky cynicism as he decided on a concealable pistol and slipped it into his breast pocket. Due to its smaller stature, the firearm lacked an eject-able thermal clip, opting instead for the good old fashioned cool down.

"Yeah, its priceless. Our little psychopath who wants to become a big shot. If our species could cry, I might have actually shed a tear."

Both men laughed.

"Still if Balak's fight has the right odds, we could win a massive amount of credits in the Pit's gambling halls. With that serious amount of coin, we'd finally be able to buy a new ship and get off this rust bucket," fiddling with his shirts silver cufflinks and checking his omni-tool, Anto looks at the time. "Pillars, I'm gonna be late," gesturing to the door with a wave of his hand.

As the two Batarians headed to the airlock of the ship neither of the them noticed Balak hidden around the corner of the hallway leaning against the wall.

Having overheard the entire conversation, Balak gritted his teeth and clenched his fist in anger. He hated Korragan and all the other self-entitled bastards like him, they didn't know what it was like to have to steal and fight just to survive. Korragan's family may not have been one of the super elite caste of the Hegemony but compared to Balak's family they were royalty. His mother was the lowest caste of the hegemony you could get without actually being a slave, she had worked eighteen hours a day managing the documents of their province's governor, she could barely scrape enough credits to feed them both. While Anto's childhood was spent living on his family's estate getting everything handed to him on a silver platter, Balak's was spent stealing from street merchants and fighting others in his situation just to get the next meal and live to see the next day.

His biotics had given him a unique advantage among others from his background, but he had still barely gotten his position with a half rate slaver like Korragan because hardly anyone wanted to tarnish their reputation by letting a street rat onto their crew.

It was at that moment that Balak's omni-tool flashed indicating he had a message, he promptly answered it.

"What news have you got?" He asked in a hushed tone in case of evesdroppers. A sadistic grin spread across his face at the response.

"So, they'll be there tomorrow night. Good. Then I can show them what exactly I can offer."

Balak listened as whoever was on the other end of the call started talking again.

"Don't worry I won't forget the agreement." He then terminated the call.

Balak quietly chuckled to himself, this was his chance, all he had to do was be a little more patient and then he would be able to make Anto Korragan and anyone else who ever thought he was inferior to them suffer for it.

**000**

**Location: Citadel, Huerta memorial.**

**Time: 1700 hrs CST**

Shepard was going insane. Yes, he must be going insane. It was the only logical explanation for the maelstrom of emotions swirling inside his mind. It had to be insanity. Only an insane person would miss the damp and dingy dwellings of that horribly horrendous cage. At least aboard that dreadful ship he had people to talk too, and some semblance of control over his life. (Even if it was only an illusion.) But here, in this hospital room, confined to this bed by a litany of tubes and monitoring devices, Shepard felt truly and utterly trapped. Not to mention terribly lonely.

Before, if he had wanted conversation, all he need do was turn his head and speak. (Joker being the ever-present sparring companion.) The discourse may not have been particularly stimulating, but it was something. Now, the only chance Shepard had to get outside the well-worn tracks of his mind came when the hospital staff visited. But those instances were seldom and lasted only a handful of minutes; consisting mostly of small talk while they checked his vitals, or changed an I.V.

On the slave ship Johnathan had nearly seventy-five others, bound by circumstance, that he could call brother. But on the Citadel, he didn't even have the luxury of a single friend... Well, maybe Liara. But to others he was a slave, a piece of property, a pound of flesh to be paraded about and sold to the highest bidder. His nearest kin were well over fifty thousand light years away, too far to render aid, and even if they could, it wasn't like they could come anywhere close to securing his bond. This John knew all too well from managing the family books. The Shepard's were a modest family, of modest means, but compared to the opulent decadence he'd seen aboard this station, his family might as well have been penniless street urchins.

The celebrity surrounding his surname alone would guarantee top billing for his bond. In recent years it had become synonymous with other legendary figures like Kennedy, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Patton. And it would've been foolish on his part to think that some alien wouldn't be willing to part with a vast fortune to own a living piece of human history. Even if his family could, by some miracle, purchase his bond, John knew the act would assuredly bankrupt them; and that was something he just couldn't abide.

He got himself into this mess, and he knew it was up to him to get himself out of it.

Tiring of these thoughts, he turned his eyes away from the window and sighed. Cracking his neck, his mind transitioned to the quandary with a more transparent solution: Doctor Liara T'Soni.

Ever since he'd come under her care, Liara had become a singular constant in his life, a focal point for which he found anchor. Unlike the other staff, she made it a point to go out of her way to keep him company. He didn't know why she did it. Maybe it was cause he was her patient? Or maybe she felt sorry for him? But everyday, around noon, Liara would stop by to eat her lunch with him and converse. Needless to say, these bedside chats quickly become the highlight of Shepard's day. Replacing the previous title holder of the cute Asari nurse that gave him his sponge bath.

After a few of these lunches, Shepard got the impression that Liara didn't have many friends outside Tali'Zorah: her Quarian roommate. Which was sad considering she was a beautiful, sweet, and friendly enough girl. Were she human, he might consider asked her out. But seeing as she wasn't, John didn't really know how to process the mix bag of emotions he felt when she was near. Sure Liara looked human, but she was just alien enough to keep him off keel.

On more than one occasion, Shepard had to remind himself that he was sexually attracted to humans. Only to humans.

Stretching his legs beneath the bed covers, his gaze shifted back to the window and he sighed again. The scenery wasn't helping his mental state either. The large window gave him an unobstructed view of the Citadel skyline in all its bustling glory. You'd think that after months trapped like a sardine in a can, the animated cityscape would've been a welcomed relief, but it was just too overwhelming for the farm boy. Back home, the nearest city was the colonies capital, and it was over a hundred and thirty kilometres away from their house. Shepard was accustomed to vast open countryside, fresh air, and blue skies for as far as the eye could see. Not countless millions sharing a mega space metropolis.

At least the food was pretty good. At first the meals had been small, consisting of a gooey, cinnamon brown coloured nutrient paste that had the texture of soggy oatmeal. After that came what he was currently dining on; a fist sized rectangle slab of olive-green jiggly vegetable jello, two large sausage shaped protein sticks, and a fruit cup. It was a far cry from his mother's cooking, but whatever futuristic alien science went into his food was doing the trick, and his body was packing on the pounds. Shepard was still some sixty pounds from his pre-capture weight of 220lbs, but at least his skeleton had become less visible. So that was a plus.

Idly hearing the door chime and *Whoosh!* open, Shepard tore his attention away from the vidscreen on the wall and saw Dr Karin Chakwas enter his room. Accompanying the silver fox was the much younger Dr Chloe Michel, and a violet hued Asari nurse. What caught Shepard's attention was what the nurse had in her hands: a hover chair.

"Hello, Shepard," said Karin with a cordial smile, "Anything good on the tele?"

"Not really," John sighed as he toggled a button on his armrest and the vidscreen shut off. "just watching the news. Trying to get myself acclimated to this place."

"Good luck with that. I've been here twenty years, and though I'm thankful to have Dr Solus as my master, every time he starts explaining the nuances of Citadel politics to me, I get the urge to hurl a bedpan at his face!" Karin uttered a humorous *Hmmphf* as she checked the readouts from his machines. "You're recovering quite nicely, Shepard."

"What can I say? I come from hardy stock."

"Indeed... If you tire of that rubbish, Huerta memorial has quite the library of movies to choose from. Just press the "on demand" button on your armrest, and use the arrow keys to scroll around till you find something you like... Or don't. I really don't care either way."

Shepard rather liked Chakwas's icy bedside manner. Like the Salarian, she had a no-nonsense attitude and spoke plainly. "I'll check it out sometime," he replied half-heartedly as he cautiously watched what the nurse was doing. With not so subdued hostility he asked, "am I going somewhere?"

"No need to get snippy, boy."

Realizing he might have been a tad too combative; John rose a hand in apology, "It's just…. as you can imagine this whole situation has me sort of... on edge."

"Does it look like I give a fuck?" scolded Karin. She was a doctor, not a wet nurse. "You'd do best to keep in mind that we're not your enemies."

"Right," a whole host of witty retorts flooded John's mind, but he smartly decided to forgo provoking her further... for now. Remaining silent, a pregnant pause permeated the room. He broke it a moment later with a much more cordial attitude. "So where am I off to, doc?"

"Your first physical therapy session," Karin replied as she called her two companions over, "you remember, Dr Chloe Michel?"

"But of course!" Shepard said with a small amount of cheer. As the hospital had less than a dozen human doctors on staff, it was rather hard to forget the ones you met. Especially one who had a saucy French accent and snuck you the occasional pudding cup. "Bonjour mon chéri, il m'a apporte une grande joie de vous rencontrer à nouveau," the effect he had was instant and she let out a girlish giggle. Shepard smiled, "Did I say that right?"

Michel giggled again. Tilting her head as if in thought, she placed her index finger under her chin and smiled. "Almost, "noticing the disproving glare from her superior, Chloe sighed, "but how about for the time being monsieur Shepard, we stick to English."

"You can speak to me however you lik…Ouch! Hey!" Shepard massaged the back of his head and glared at Chakwas, "why'd you hit me!?"

"This is a hospital. Not the French connection," the nurse covered her mouth and stifled a laugh. "Unless you want to be late, I suggest we move this along."

"Fine," John pouted, his spirit reinvigorated by the exchange. They kept the conversation light as the doctors went about disconnecting the restraints strapping him to the bed. As the last band came undone, Shepard fully extended his limbs and popped the kinks in his spine. "Oh yeah! That's the spot... So physical therapy huhh."

"Oui... But do not worry, your body is in very excellent hands," Chloe clapped, a precocious smile on her lips. "My hands."

"Physical therapy." Shepard repeated slowly as he used his new freedom to examine his surroundings in greater depth. Casting a quick glance at the medical tray full of tools to his immediate left, he figured one of them had to be a scalpel. A plan started to formulate in his mind. With much gusto and confidence, he puffed out his chest, "I really don't see the need doc, I'm as healthy as a horse."

"Is that so?" Chloe shared a knowing wink with Karin. "Then please, stand up."

"Alright." throwing off the blankets, Shepard swung his legs over the side of his bed and planted his feet on the floor. Standing upright, he teetered like a newborn colt for a moment. Gripping the railing of his bed with his good arm, John muttered "... Whoa... " as sweat pooled on his skin. When his body adjusted to the strain he grinned, "See, I'm alright. No problems here."

Chakwas could only cross her arms and pinch the ridge of her nose in disapproval. Shepard somehow managed to take a few, precarious steps. "My my well done," she chided, "Now stop being stubborn and sit down."

"For ten years, I worked my family's farm from sun up till sun down. A few measly steps ain't gonna bring me down!" as Shepard said this he felt his muscles spasm in protest. "Just need, *pant* just need to get, *pant* my bearings."

"You'll need more than that!" Calling for the nurse to bring over the chair, Karin put it well within Shepard's reach. "Now sit down or I'll make you sit down! I shan't ask again!"

"I said, I'm fine!" Shepard shot back as he purposefully lost his balance and crashed into the tray table. Gripping it for support and knocking some of the devices to the floor as a distraction, the doctors rushed to his aid while he secretly stashed one inside the linings of his cast. With the ruse complete, Shepard acquiesced to their demands and settled into the chair. With a smidgen of humility, he sighed, "Okay... Maybe I do need some help."

"You think?" Karin gently swatted him around the back of his head.

"So, doctors are allowed to hit patients now?"

"Only the stubborn ones," Karin grinned. The nurse only looked on in bewilderment. Humans were weird.

As he was pushed down the corridor, Shepard was amazed by the utter diversity of species lining the hospitals hallways and wards. All around him were dozens upon dozens of humanoid aliens, most of which he'd only read about in books. Besides the usual Asari, Salarian, and occasional Turian, there were Hanar, Drell, Elcor, Volus, and even the odd Krogan. There was even a pair of Raloi; one of a handful of species humanity had discovered during the early years of colonial expansion.

"Stop staring, John. It's rude."

"Sorry, I've never seen a Raloi before."

Studying the birds of paradise from Turvess, he noted the sexual dimorphism between them. Where the male stood at nearly seven feet tall, the female barely reached five. While the male's plumage consisted of beautifully decorative feathers; full of purples, blues, and greens, the female's was a dull red brown with speckling spots of white. Much like Turian's, they had layered plates covering their ovular shaped head, with swept back hard feathered crests where the ears would be. The male even had a large one of these crests on his head; like a cockatoo. Now that Shepard thought about it, the Raloi looked a lot like feathered Turians; if you replaced the armored plating with malleable skin and feathers that is. They even possessed a facial structure resembling that of a human.

"Never seen?... Didn't your species make first contact with them?" asked the nurse.

"Yeah, but from what my dad told me, they didn't want anything to do with us... Or anyone for that matter. As he tells it, first contact sorta went like: Oh high, nice to meet you. Thanks for visiting, but if it isn't too much of a bother, would you be so kind as to leave us alone?" Shepard coughed as he dropped the pretentiousness from his tone, "So we did... The Alliance gave them a QEC, and like grandchildren they never bothered to call," Karin giggled softly. "When war with the Hierarchy came, they declared themselves neutral... As far as I knew they hadn't left their home system, what changed?"

"The Turians," Chakwas stated matter of factly. "Rumour is they pressured the Asari to send a diplomatic envoy to their home world, "watching the males head swivel like an owl to gaze at him, Shepard gulped as his eyes met two beady red ones. Not knowing what else to do, he weakly smiled and waved his hand. Looking at the gesture, the male rose his wing like arm and clenched and un-clenched his four talon equipped fingers. It was the creepiest wave John had ever seen. "At any rate," Karin continued, "the Council established equitable relations with their leaders. And as their species agreed to every stipulation in the charter without protest, they'll likely be granted membership and assigned an embassy on the Presidium."

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait just a freaking minute!" Shepard turned in his chair and fumed in anger at Karin, "Why the heck do they get to become a member species, but humanity gets enslaved!?"

Without missing a beat, the Asari nurse deadpanned, "Because humanity started a war."

Pointing a finger at the nurse, "I'll have you know, young lady, that humanity did not start shi-" Shepard's voice died in his throat. A way away, he saw Liara dressed in a stunning little black number. She waved to them and started walking over. He suddenly lost track of what they were talking about. Mouth agape, John's heart skipped a beat when he saw the smile on her face.

Time slowed as she approached, and his eyes drank in the sight of her. The supple curves of her slender, yet feminine frame. The subtle, sensual sway of her hips. The peaking glimpses each step gave of her long blue legs that seemed to go on forever. The mesmerizing, ethereal glow, outlining her body, as if she was sent from heaven. By god she looked beautiful.

"Well don't you just look stunning," Karin mused with a hum. Deeply enjoying the effect Liara was having on Shepard.

"Really, you think so!" Liara was hopeful, "you don't think it's a tad too revealing?" twirling in place, showing them the backless V that went all the way down to her blue hips. "Tali picked it out. I think it's too revealing."

"I like it," said the nurse, "It looks good on you."

"Really? You don't think it's too revealing?" Liara questioned again, like a nervous librarian. "Goddess, I feel like I'm naked. "

"Good thing you brought a jacket then," Karin nodded at the white trench coat under Liara's arms.

"Yes, indeed," feeling a shiver come on, Liara unfurled the leather coat and put it on. Tightening the waist belt, she crossed her arms and sighed, "much better."

"So, who's the lucky man?"

"Or woman!" Dr Michel was quick to add to Karin's question, looking none too pleased at the affect Liara was having on Shepard.

"Anto Korragan." Liara replied with a demure smile. It was quite clear to everyone that dating wasn't exactly the Asari's strong suit. "He's picking me up here and taking me to dinner."

"That's smart," commented John, drawing the groups attention. "Better to meet here, then have him know your home address... He's a slaver after all."

Karin smacked him around the head again and snipped, "will you stop with that. She's gonna be fine," looking to Liara, "you're gonna be fine, darling. This is the Citadel. Nothing like that happens here." Chloe and the nurse both shrugged their shoulders in unison.

"What?" Liara asked in a bit of a fluster as the five of them entered an elevator.

"Nothing, dear," Chloe waved her hand as if shooing away the thought, "Karin's right, you'll be fine."

"Probably," the nurse added and shared a smile with the human.

"You know I wasn't worried before, but now I am."

The lift hummed as they descended three floors. With a *ding* the door opened and they exited.

"Just avoid dark alleys, getting into a car with him, leaving your drink untended, and you'll be good," Shepard couldn't help but get in on the teasing, "Oh!" he clapped his hands, "and carry a gun."

Liara freckled face rose and shook, with raised hands she fumed satirically, "thank you, thank all of you. This is making me feel so much better," she heard them all share a chuckle at her expense. After blushing deep purple with embarrassment, Liara shot back at Shepard, "You'd think after having your arm broken, you'd learn your lesson?"

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"That it's unhealthy for a slave to smart mouth aliens," Liara's heels clicked on the tiles as they entered the physical therapy ward, "I don't wish to sound cruel, but you got badly beaten on that ship, and you got beaten again on the docks."

Shepard squinted his eyes as if annoyed, "I believe I was there."

"And it was avoidable, John... If you wish to reach the ripe young age of nineteen, you'd best learn to silence yourself when its advantageous."

The nurse wheeled him next to a vacant massage table and used her biotics to lift him onto it. Sitting upright, Shepard's laughter took them by surprise, and drew the attention of a few other patients. With a smile, he laughed "you know Liara, on your tombstone it's gonna read, "Post hoc, ergo propter hoc.""

"Okaaaay, but none of my visitors are gonna be able to understand my tombstone."

Shepard looked around, "Twenty some odd doctors in the room and nobody knows "Post hoc, ergo propter hoc"!... Chloe?" he noticed that by now he had the attention of nearly half the room.

"Uhh... Umm, Post: after. After hoc... Ergo: therefore. After hoc, therefore... Something else hoc."

"Thaaaank you," Shepard mused in jovial annoyance. "Next."

"Well if I had chosen to study a dead language rather than medicine-"

"Doctor Chakwas?" Shepard cut her off.

"After, therefore because of it."

"After, therefore because of it," Shepard repeated with a nod and turned to face Liara. "It means: one thing follows the other, therefore it was caused by the other... But it's not always true; in fact, it's hardly ever true... I was not beaten by the Batarians because of my mouth... Do you want to know why I was beaten?"

"When you learned to speak Latin?"

Shepard smiled, and it was reciprocated by Liara. "Go figure..." looking past her, Shepard saw a familiar Batarian at the door. With a sarcastic droll, "Oh goody, your date is here."

"What?" Liara was clearly fluster.

"Oh, Captain Korragan!" Shepard waved, "Is that you darkening my doorstep?"

Entering, Anto went over to the bed and smirked at his merchandise. "Well, 655321... I see you're in good spirits."

"You're forgetting the double oh," It angered him greatly when people used his number, rather than his name.

"Oh, I'm well aware. But 00655321, just doesn't have the ring to it that 655321 does... Don't you think?" Anto clapped his merchandise hard on the shoulder and squeezed.

Shepard resisted the urge to flinch, even as the pressure incrementally increased, "Quite the kung-fu grip you got. Must spend a lotta down time polishing your rifle," making an obscene gesture with his good hand, "... Or is it palm cannon?" John smirked as the pressure got too great and he pulled out of the Batarian's grip. It took all his self-control not to take his newly acquired weapon and ram it into the squint's eye.

"How's your recovery coming along? You certainly look healthier." Anto smiled with sincerity. Truth be told he didn't dislike Shepard, he was certainly an amusing pink skin.

"Five meals a day and sponge baths tend to have that effect on a man."

"Woo, such luxury!" Anto turned and extended a hand to Liara, "Dr T'soni, you're looking as lovely as ever. A lily among the thorns indeed."

Liara blushed at the compliment, "Why thank you. And I must say you look very handsome as well."

Shepard rolled his eyes and wanted someone to shoot him. A Batarian reciting bad poetry was one thing, but Liara complimenting the bastard for it was just too much. Sensing the tension, Liara intervened before Shepard did something that would force Anto to take action. Making up some excuse about the time, she bid them all adieu, and took her dates arm in hers and left.

As soon as the door closed Shepard muttered, "Pretentious snob."

"Says the man who speaks Latin." chided Karin.

"When I do it, it's not pretentious."

"Ah." Karin raised her eyes whimsically.

"Ahhhh." Shepard repeated. Looking at the others, "Well we might as well get on with it, shall we?"

"Actually, I should go check up on that patient I've been dodging."

"Why have you been dodging him?" asked the nurse.

"When he's frisky, his hands tend to wander," Karin sighed as she massaged her brow, "To make matters worse the damn, pesky, Turian's C-Sec."

"Hee hee hee," the nurse giggled, "I'll be more than happy to take him off your hands, doctor."

"Tried that" Karin threw up a hand, "Damn parakeets got a human fetish."

"Oh, I'd think a woman your age would enjoy the attention."

Chakwas glared, "Shepard, just so were clear. You realize that I'm one of the few people in this hospital that knows how to kill you without leaving any forensic evidence."

"I do now," She watched John's resolve fade. "and it won't happen again."

"Good boy."

After Chakwas left, Shepard audibly sighed. "Is she always like that?"

Dr Michel giggled, "Only to the patients she likes."

I hate to see the ones she doesn't.


	5. Chapter 5: Daily Life with Aliens

_Italics_ indicate internal thought.

Please comment and review

* * *

**Daily life with Aliens**

* * *

**Location: Citadel (en route to Silversun Strip.)**

**Date: June 25th 2180**

**Time: 1740**

Outside the hospital, Anto double timed his pace so he could hold the taxi's door for Liara. She gave him a small smile and a courteous, "thank you." Closing it gently, he walked around to the back of the transport and quickly checked his breath; making sure it wasn't offensive. Slipping into the driver's seat, he punched their destination into the auto pilot, and the vehicle sped off; joining thousands of others criss-crossing the Citadel highways.

Studying the displayed course, he smiled, "Good news, looks like we won't have any traffic," and gave a thumbs up. Immediately, Anto began to mentally chastise himself. _Who the hell over the age of five gives a thumbs up?_

_Why is he giving me a thumbs up?_ Liara wondered, and sweetly replied, "that's good."

"You hungry," her body tensed at the commanding tone in his gravely timber. _Pillars, Anto! She isn't some slave you can boss around! What the hell are you thinking!_ "Apologies, I didn't mean to startle you... I'm just, nervous that's all." He could see he put her on the defensive. A tinge of apologetic worrisome played hide and seek with his tone, "As you can imagine, I don't get many opportunities to interact with civilized society. My people skills are... rusty." Anto hoped that self-deprecation would play well with her. Her ease in posture told him it had worked.

"It's alright," Liara sweetly replied, loosening her fingers grip upon her clutch. Unbeknownst to anyone other than her, Tali had given her a bottle of pepper spray; Krogan strength, for just in case. Liara hadn't thought she needed it, but now she found its presence comforting. "I'm sort of the same; don't get out much either. Only friends I have are either work colleagues, my roommate, and my patients." _By the goddess! Now that I've said it out-loud, I just realized how dull my life is._ "As sad as it sounds, this is actually the highlight of my month."

_Phew, dodged a bullet. Now it's recovery time_. "That's not sad at all. You're focused on your career, Liara, nothing wrong with that." Anto reassured, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, wise."

"Early to bed and early to rise may make you healthy, wealthy, and wise, but it leaves you socially dead."

Anto nods with a smile and replies, "True."

The both of them share a small laugh. It acts like a painkiller, smoothing the tension and relaxing the atmosphere. Sighing happily, a question pops into Liara's mind and she ask's, "That saying sounds vaguely familiar, who said it?"

"Ben Franklin."

"Ben Franklin?... Is he a Batarain philosopher?"

"Batarian?... Nooo." Anto couldn't help but assume the role of a scholarly professor, "Franklin was a human male who lived four hundred years ago on Earth. An affluent businessman, statesman, inventor, and author, he's one of the so called "founding fathers" of the United States; a nation on the planet's northern continent. It ruled as one of the planets primary superpowers for centuries, and was one of the key, military backbones, of the Earth Systems Alliance."

Laira didn't know what surprised her more, the fact that a Batarian knew about a human history, or that Anto had a certain aura of reverence in his tone. "You almost sound like you admire them?"

"Any species that did what they did to the Hierarchy is worthy of remembrance."

"What they did to the Hierarchy?" Liara repeated in a questioning tone.

Anto paused as he considered what to say, he then turned back to look at her. "How much to you know about the Pan-Galactic contact war?" Anto asked.

"About as much as the next person". Liara replied honestly "The Human Systems Alliance opened fire on a Hierarchy patrol fleet trying to establish peaceful first contact. Then several years of gruelling war before Humanity surrendered and signed the treaty of relay 314." She paused for a second, "Truthfully the Council has never released many details"

Anto chuckled "Yeah well, that's probably because the Turians don't want people to know that they were suffering huge casualties at the hands of such a young species."

Liara gained a surprised expression, "huge casualties?"

Anto nodded "Yeah, so bad that the Hierarchy actually accepted the aid of the Hegemony"

Liara was even more confused, _I thought they never wanted to fight alongside each other._" And that is how you were able to force humanity to surrender?"

Anto almost burst out laughing "Let me tell you something Liara, Batarian Military tactics revolve around the strategy, throw enough bodies at the enemy and you will win. The Hegemony suffered twice as many casualties as the Hierarchy in half the time"

Anto calmed down before finishing. "The Humans fought against us for years and in the end lost through attrition."

"Extraordinary" Liara said stunned. "How did you find out so much about humans?"

Anto suddenly gained a relieved expression,_ Let's try and steer this away from human history_. "I tend to read a lot," Anto sighed, "it helps pass the time during voyages... If you're interested, I could transfer some books over to your omni-tool? You know, to peruse later?"

"That would be wonderful!" Liara's eyes lit up, ever the scholar. "I haven't really had much time to explore their literary culture. I mostly stick to medical text's and anatomy books."

"They certainly are an interesting species." Anto's wrist illuminated as his omni activated and he transferred over a few favoured texts, "confusing, actually."

"How so?"

Anto got more comfortable in his seat. "They're more individualistic than any species I have ever encountered. If three humans are in a room, there will be six opinions. It's always curious to see what they will do."

"I know exactly what you mean," they shared a few more minutes in idle converse, bonding over the strangeness of humans. Before long, the topic shifted back to food. Feeling her stomach grumble, Liara innocently smiled, "I hope we get to the restaurant soon. Only thing I've had to eat today was a light breakfast."

"Don't worry," checking the auto pilots eta, "says we should be there in ten minutes. You like Sushi, right?" _Do Asari like eating fish? Or maybe it's just looking at fish? Why the fuck didn't I figure this out beforehand!?_

"Love it."

_Oh, thank the pillars!_ Anto felt a weight lift off his chest.

"What is the name of the place again?"

"Ryuusei."

"Ryuusei!?" Liara's face lit up as her synapses made the connection to memories. "By the goddess! That's the place Dr Solus took Karin for their twenty-year anniversary. It has this wonderful, massive, aquarium running the entirety of the floor!" _Reel it in, Liara you're not a child. This is just dinner._ "That place is booked months in advance. How did you get a table so quickly?"

"I know the owner," Anto smiled, "When he purchased his human wait staff from me, I gave him a very reasonable discount." _Does it sound like I'm bragging too much? Would she like me better if I were more humble?_ "Though, I do hope the fish we eat aren't former guests," he saw her freckled face drain of colour. _You're a fucking moron Anto!_

"I certainly hope not," Liara's hand came under her chin in thought, "Though, that would be one of the better ways for a restaurant to keep their food stuffs fresh."

"Yeah, that would make sense." Anto coughed, "You uhh, you said someone went there for their anniversary?"

"Yes." The Asari's mind shifted back to present company, "Dr Solus and Dr Chakwas."

"The Salarian and the... Human?" _Way to go asshole, way to sound racist._

"They're not romantically involved, at least I don't think they are?" Liara's face flushed at the taboo relationship between master and slave.

_She's cute when she blushes_. "He sounds like a model master."

"The very model of a Scientist Salarian," Liara giggles as she sings a portion of the tune. Seeing Anto's confused expression, she waved her hand in apology. "Sorry, it's a bit of an inside joke... Dr Solus is fan of Gilbert and Sullivan."

"Gilbert and Sullivan?"

"They're composers from Earth." a small smile tugs at the corners of her lips, "Dr Solus even formed a barber shop quartet with other members of the hospital staff."

"Really?" _This isn't interesting but let's see where it leads._

"Oh yes, they're rather good actually. Once a week they go to paediatrics and entertain sick children."

"I see you idolize him."

"He's a great man... I hope to have his job someday."

"Ambitious." Anto smiled in approval as the Skycar's V.I. chimes in to tell them they've arrived at their destination. Getting out, he opens the door for her and offers his hand. She takes it with a thank you, and he enjoys the feeling of her skin on his. It's so much better than his own kind.

Bypassing the long line waiting to get in, Liara noticed the scowls she got from some of the patrons. Entering the restaurant, she went over to the coat check counter while Anto concerned himself with the maître d'. Taking her trench coat off and handing it to the human girl manning the desk, the Asari felt a chill run down her spine. It wasn't from the temperature however, but rather the eyes from the few heads she turned. Liara blushed as she overheard a few guests talking about her dress. She had never considered herself to be an object of desire before, so the attention was rather surreal.

Feeling a hand slide across her lower back to rest upon her hip, she let out a quiet gasp. She knew it was Anto's, and though the contact surprised her, she didn't find the warmth and security it provided that uncomfortable.

"Our table should be ready in a few minutes. Would you care to join me for a drink?"

"That would be lovely." she replied with a small half smile. She knew that some liquid courage could be just what the doctor ordered. Goddess knows if she was going to make a fool of herself, she'd rather not remember it in the morning.

Walking over to the bar, Liara had to force herself to keep her eyes focused ahead, but the fish swimming beneath her feet kept drawing her attention. On more than one occasion, when a large fish had swum into her footpath, she actually stopped to give it the right of way, almost as if to avoid stepping on its tail. This seemed to amuse her date, and she could feel the rumbling bass of his laughter deep in her chest.

"Hello, what can I get you two lovebirds?" asked the Turian behind the bar. Anto answered first.

"I'll have a whiskey sour, and the lady will have a Thessia star-fire with a splash of vermouth and a thin slice of lemon."

"No problem."

As the bartender went to work on the drinks, Anto saw the subtle look upon Liara's face. He wondered if he had overstepped his bounds ordering for her? But deciding to double down he gave her a confident, gentlemanly smirk. "Trust me, you'll love it."

"Here you go. Is there anything else I can help you with?" Anto waved his hand and tipped the man a few credits. Saying thanks, the bartender moved off to serve the other patrons.

Wrapping her fingers around the martini glass, Liara clinked it with Anto's and took a sip. Humming in delight as the flavourful liquor danced upon her taste buds, she took another sip and smiled. "You're right, this is rather good. I'll have to remember it for next time."

"So, there's gonna be a next time?"

As the alcohol pooled in her stomach, Liara felt a kindling of confidence flow through her nerves. With an enticing flicker of her eyes, she spun around slowly to lean her back against the padded bar counter, "only if you play your cards right." _By the goddess! Where did that come from?_

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Huerta Memorial. (Physical therapy ward)**

**Time: 1800**

As pulse after rhythmic pulse of electricity passed through Shepard's legs and thighs, contracting the muscles again and again, the human puts on a face of stereotypical male stoicism for the benefit of Dr Michel. Unfortunately, his efforts to appear "tough" were hampered by the pressing urge to cry out every time the machine started a new cycle. His lower body was in pain. It wasn't a short pain either, like stubbing your toe. No, this was more like an unending dull throb. The kind of pain that would blend into the background of your skull, fooling you into thinking it's gone before striking

To his left was Dr Chloe Michel. At the moment she was operating the offending devices of his so called "recovery", whispering words of encouragement into his ear. "You're doing very well Johnathan!... Just a few more minutes... " her silky-smooth voice was like the sweetest honey.

As the electrodes stopped, Shepherd took several deep breaths. He turned his head towards Dr Michelle, and his breath almost got caught in his throat. Suddenly he wasn't looking at Dr Michelle anymore, he was looking at a young woman with brown eyes, shoulder length dark brown hair and tanned skin. She turned to look back at him, "don't quit on me farm boy" she said in a tone barely above a whisper. "Ash?" Shepard responded, inaudible to anybody near.

"Shepard?" a few moments later, "yoo-hoo, Shepard?" Puzzled, Chloe gently shook his shoulder and repeated, "Johnathan, are you alright?" the omni-tool on her wrist was active, ready to call code: blue (adult, medical emergency)

A flashlight in his eyes brought him back to reality. Gently grabbing Chloe's hand, he pushed aside the pen light and lowly whispered, "Hey, stop that would you."

"What happened to you?"

Shepard blinked, "what do you mean?"

"You sorta... Zoned out," just to be safe she ran a diagnostic.

"Sorry," John shook his head to clear away his thoughts, "had something on my mind." _More like someone..._

"Care to share?"

_Yeah, the most beautiful girl I have ever known, and in all likely hood will never see again._ "Not really." He responded in a depressed tone.

"I see." Her omni-tool beeped. Looking at the readout, she hummed in thought. "Everything appears normal... You're slightly dehydrated though. Wait here while I get you something."

Looking at his legs that felt like jello. "That's not gonna be a problem." _Though that's not what I'm really worried about._

"Hey you, slave."

Shepard's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the comment, but he was glad for the distraction. Turning, he saw the dark blue Asari patient next to him, waiting for his response. The most striking thing about her was the amount of purple tattoo's she had on her face. They looked tribal in nature and gave her a menacing quality that contrasted sharply against her species natural ascetic beauty.

"You're aware it's poor manners to address someone as, Hey you?"

"Whatever," she gave her crest a flippant shake, "You wanna plow that french tart, right?"

Shepard blinked, slowly. He was still getting used to interactions with a mono-gender species. The fact that they physically appeared female didn't help his predisposition; viewing them all as flowers, incapable of vulgarity. The concept of an Asari with a, crude, mentality hadn't even occurred to him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he responded dryly.

"Sure, you don't," she rolled her eyes, "You human males are all young, dumb, and full of... You get the drift."

Raising an eyebrow, he took a moment to investigate her injuries. Shepard didn't have to be a brain surgeon to see that the woman, whoever she was, had a gunshot wound. A through and through transecting her right shoulder by the looks of it. Given Huerta's reputation for being one of the best hospitals on the Citadel, he doubted she was a pirate, or a merc for that matter. C-Sec perhaps? She certainly had the attitude of a cop. John didn't think it likely, but maybe she was a Spectre?

"How'd you break your arm?" the Asari hissed as her therapist went about rotating her arm; exercising the recovering muscle. The Drell tending to her seemed oblivious to their conversation.

"Varren mistook it for a milk bone. How'd you get shot?"

"In the line of duty."

Well that's vague. Raised by his parents to be a gentleman, he extended his hand. "Johnathan Shepard."

"Nulli D'linarix. You'll forgive me if we don't shake." the tattoo's above her eyes simulated something akin to eyebrows. They rose as she glanced at her arm. "That was a nice little show you put on."

"Show?"

"Post hoc ergo propter hoc... Very entertaining."

Shepard noticed the mocking infliction to her tone. "Glad you liked it."

"Oh yeah, you could practically see the pheromones wafting off the ladies." Nulli laughed sarcastically, "Friendly word of advice, kid. You don't have to try so hard to get laid. Sex is just about knowing where to stick it."

"Gee, I never knew that. Thank you mysterious stranger from beyond the stars, you've changed my life." now it was his turn to laugh. Off to the side he saw Dr Michel reappear; a bottle of water in hand. Taking it, he said thanks, "So doc, what's next?"

"Deep tissue massage." Chloe replied with a happy smile as she peeled the electrode pads from his legs. Rolling over so she could begin her work, John wondered how Liara's date was going. But as Chloe's magic fingers melted him into a puddle of blissful flesh, all thoughts of her left his mind. "Does that feel good?"

"Mhmmmm Hmm." Was his only response.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Silversun strip.**

**Time: 1850**

For the last hour or so, while they ate, Liara enjoyed a rather stimulating and provocative conversation about the morality of Slavery. How they got to this topic she didn't quite remember, but she suspected the four empty martini glasses on their table had something to do with it. It came as no surprise that Anto was extraordinarily well versed on the subject, but then again, she imagined this wasn't the first time he had to defend his trade. Ashamedly, under the steady pliancy of drink, her objections had gone from ones of well-reasoned ethos and logos, to ones of raw emotion. Anto didn't seem to mind however, and in fact he even agreed with her on some points.

One thing was certain. Anto Korragan was a strange and complex Batarian indeed.

Before the dessert menu came, Liara excused herself to go freshen up. Thankfully there wasn't a line of ladies waiting to use the facilities, and she was finished in no time at all. At the sink, she let the water run over her hands as she took a moment to compose herself. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Liara was feeling rather good about herself. Her head had a pleasant tingling to it, and she felt light on her feet, like she weighed nothing at all. No wonder people drank to excess.

Idly, she tossed around the idea of sleeping with Anto. In her slightly inebriated state, it seemed like a rather good thing to do. Most Asari had lost their virginity around the age of eighty, and here she was at one-oh-six with not so much as a kiss. Oh, she had enough sense about her that she knew she wasn't going to Embrace Eternity with the man. Every schoolgirl on Thessia knew that the leading cause of unplanned pregnancy among Maidens was impaired eternity. Though, the fact that she was so easily contemplating this should have sent up red flags.

She heard the door open and the clicking of heels broke her from her reverie. It may have been the alcohol, but Liara T'Soni swore she saw the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen walk into the bathroom. Whoever the human was, she was a statuesque beauty worthy of song. With long luxurious raven locks that contrasted magnificently against her alabaster skin. Her face was a work of art, like a goddess, and she had the most gorgeous sky-blue eyes that reminded her of Shepard's. Her slim waist followed into the idealized human hourglass figure. In a word, she was perfect.

Touching up her makeup, she noticed the affectionate gaze the maiden was giving her. She smiled to herself; beaming at the potency of her own charms.

"That is a lovely dress... Who's the designer?"

When she spoke to her, Liara suddenly felt like she'd been teleported back in time to the first day of kindergarten. Mouth suddenly dry, (Goddess dammit alcohol!), she stumbled. "This... Um, this old thing? My um, my roommate helped make it."

"Custom made, it looks ravishing on you darling. " Miranda gave the girl a warm, relaxing smile.

Oh, I guess it's only proper I introduce myself." Miranda gave a cute little laugh and gently touched the Asari's arm. Bringing back her hand, she gave the Asari a perfect, traditional, bow. "I'm Miranda Lawson. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Liara was a bit flustered by her open friendliness, but she felt herself calm down when Miranda touched her arm. Realizing it was her turn, and not wanting to be rude, Liara bowed her head to complete the formal Asari introduction, "It's nice to meet you, Miranda. I'm Liara T'Soni."

"A pleasure."

"I don't mean to be rude, but your accent is very charming. Where are you from?"

"Thessia, by way of Melbourne Australia." Miranda had a pleasant yet rehearsed look upon her. Clearly this wasn't the first time she answered this question.

"Thessia?" Liara was a bit confused.

" I was bought at the age of twelve and sold to the Mistress of a companion Villa. I lived on Thessia for the next twenty years, training in the ways of Asari culture. A few years ago, Mistress Sha'ira purchased my contract, and here we are."

"By the goddess! That's horrible." Liara was caught off guard by her belting laughter. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I said something funny."

"No, it's not you, I'm just." Miranda wiped a tear from her eye, lest she wanted her mascara to run, "It's just people usually say something completely different when I tell them I'm a Consort Acolyte."

"Really? What do they say?"

Miranda coughed gently and covered her mouth with a demure hand, "Nothing that should be repeated in polite company, darling."

"I see." Liara was a bit wary.

Suddenly a question popped into her mind. "Miranda, do you mind if I ask you something?"

Miranda prepared herself for the question, "Sure."

"You say you're an acolyte to the Consort"

"I am personally in charge of manging many of mistress Sha'ira affairs all over the Citadel" Miranda responded with a great deal of pride.

"Then I take it you have experienced a lot of the dealings she has had with her visitors over the years, the problems they come to her with…the advice she can give..."

"Without going into too much detail, yes." Miranda smiled, "What's troubling you?"

Maybe it was the alcohol, but Liara began confessing. "You see, I'm 106 and still a virgin. I'm here on a date and I'm tempted to just get it over with."

"Oh," Miranda shifted her weight to her back foot in thought, "Well, do you love him?"

"Uhmmm not really." Liara weakly laughed, "It's just that in my line of work, I don't have much personal time, and I partially want to just see what all the fuss is about. I don't know... Maybe I'm just building this whole thing up in my mind."

"Sounds to me like you have your answer." If there was one thing Miranda had learned under Sha'ira, sometimes all people needed to solve their problems was someone to talk to. "If I was in your shoes, I'd go on a few more dates before skipping to the finish line."

Liara nodded, "waiting a while longer it is. Thank you for the advice, Miranda."

"It's what I do, darling."

"I should go. I'm sure I've kept him waiting." bowing goodbye, Liara quietly left.

After waiting a few moments Miranda followed Liara out of the restroom. As the door shut she looked around the restaurant, her gaze settling on Liara as she returned to her table. Behind her a human male wearing a full suit of white armour bearing Asari sigils, his face completely obscured by the helmet.

"Is that her?" He asked

"Liara T'soni, yes that's her." Miranda responded, her previously playful tone now gone in place of a very serious one.

"What did you tell her"

"The usual fabricated story, then I gave her some date advice". He turned to look at her as if surprised, he then looked back to Liara and sighed. "So, she's our best shot at making this work?" he asked.

"We can only hope it does" Miranda said looking down.

He clenched his fist and said in a quiet voice "I hate to just stand back and watch, maybe we could try and…."

Miranda quickly turned to look at him, "Our chances of succeeding are already miniscule, we can't risk undermining it, you know what's at stake here Kaiden" she quickly said in a harsh tone.

Kaiden sighed before responding slowly "Yeah"

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Huerta Memorial. (recovery ward)**

**Time: 1855**

An hour under Chloe's care and Shepard had felt all the tension, stress, and worry ebb out of his body like... Like... Like... By god, he was so relaxed he was at a loss for words! This had never happened to him before! The whole feeling was surreal, but oddly comforting... and the painkillers weren't so bad either. He saw Chloe coquettishly smile at him as the nurses helped him back into his chair.

"How are we feeling after our first session, Johnathan?"

"No, no, no. I'm good, everything's good... good... good... good."

His slight slur and airy nature had Chloe looking wearily at the nurses. "John, did you by chance take the pain pills I set out for you?"

"Why yes I did, Chloe... I don't mind telling you I was feeling a bit of pain there." John's thoughts felt increasingly sluggish.

As Chloe knew the dosages she set out weren't life threatening, she relaxed. "And which did you take, John?"

"Hmmm, what?"

"The pills. Which did you take? The Vicodin, or the Percocet?"

Shepard's eyebrows glanced upward, before angling down. A half open mouthed look of confusion spread across his face. "I wasn't supposed to take both of them?"

Chloe's hand covered her mouth to muffle her giggle, "It's okay, you'll be fine."

"You're the expert." he watched as she stepped behind him and looked around as he began to move. "Where are we going?"

"To the recovery room." Chloe replied as she pushed him past the other patients.

"I thought this was the recovery room?"

"No, silly. This is the therapy room." taking a left at the hallway's end, they passed a janitorial storage room and took another right. "This is the recovery ward."

Looking around the empty corridor, all he saw was a series of doors. Like the hallway of some high-rise hotel.

As she opened the door to room number one, Shepard grimaced as he saw three naked Turians relaxing on bleacher bench; clad in only a white towel covering their hips.

"Apologies gentlemen, I thought this room was empty." Chloe hurriedly said.

"Don't even think of putting that filthy human in here." menacingly growled the one with orange markings.

The one with red facial markings put his hand on his compatriots' shoulder, "By all means, doctor. You are most welcome to stay, just ditch the slave... We could use the... Entertainment."

"Really, with a human? Aren't they too squishy." commented the one with blue facial markings.

"That's the fun part, their bodies practically mould to yours. Spirits!" added the one with purple markings, he had a devious glint in his eyes.

It must have been the pain killers because Shepard couldn't stop himself from pointing at them and saying. "Apologies Doctor but it looks like this room is infested with skullfaces "

Chloe's eyes went wide and she immediately went on damage control. Apologizing for him, she quickly wheeled Shepard out and left the room before the Turians could even respond.

"What'd I say?" John asked, oblivious in his pharmaceutical high. She gave him an answer, but it went in one ear and out the other; something to do with keeping them from killing him, or something... He was feeling too good to care. Nodding at the second door, "Shall we see what's behind door number two?"

As the door-hatch whooshed open, John found the room identical to the one before it, the tiles on the floor and ceiling had a honeycomb pattern to them like a beehive. In the middle of the room, extending down about a foot from the ceiling, was a seven-foot diameter cylinder. Inside of cylinder was a five-foot diameter dome, made out of opaque glass.

"This looks like a torture room."

"It's a rejuvenation chamber. The LED emitters along the walls and ceiling emit vita-rays; a mixture of infrared and visible light that helps speed up the process of cellular rejuvenation."

"You made that up." Shepard deadpanned.

"No, I didn't."

"Oh, yes you did." getting settled inside, they were shortly joined by Nulli and her nurse. Looking at the Asari, Shepard scoffed in mock ire. "They're making things up now. Did you know that? I wasn't aware doctors could do that?"

"Stop talking and take off your robe." Dr Michel chided with a gentle swat to his shoulder.

John blinked several times as a fog came over him, "I'm sorry, what?"

"You're clothes." Dr Michel stated again with a held-out hand, "Give them to me."

"Why?" he asked like a curious child.

"Because the fabric will block the photons; rendering this this treatment pointless. Now, fork over the robe handsome."

Acquiescing to the demand, Shepard winced a little as he moved his cast out of his sling and shimmied out of the robe, leaving him in only a pair of boxers. "Here you go."

"Not that a hopped-up human isn't fun, but how soon before he comes down?" Nulli asked as she flung off her robe, exposing herself to everyone without a hint of care. Shepard couldn't help himself from staring. Now that she was naked, he noticed that the purple tattoos didn't stop at her face. She reminded him of a large jungle cat, like a tigress.

"It was a low dosage, so given his physiology and metabolism... Maybe thirty minutes?" Chloe guessed. "If you want privacy I can take him to another room?"

"Bad idea." commented the Drell nurse, "Room three has four Batarians, room five is partially flooded for two Hanar, room six has a Quarian, and room seven and eight are down for repairs-"

"What about nine?"

"Nine has an Elcor reciting lines for a play; Hamlet, I think." replied Nulli with a condescending smirk, "Don't get me wrong, I enjoy theatre as much as the next Asari, but there's no way in hell I'm subjecting myself to a monotone Pakaderm waxing poetic!" noticing where the human's blue eyes were looking, she sinfully smiled, "See something you like? Don't be afraid to get closer for a better look... I don't bite." the predatory look in her eyes made him uneasy...

"Dio mi aiuti!" Chloe closed her eyes, pinched the ridge of her nose, and sighed. "Are you comfortable, John? Is the temperature in here all right?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine." he waved her off with his good hand. "Naturally biotic humans run hotter than our non-biotic brethren." Nodding with his head in Nulli's direction, "Though judging by the way she is shivering, raising the temp a few degrees couldn't hurt."

A long pregnant pause filled the room. "Riiiiight..." said Chloe as she finished getting him ready, "Anyway the bathroom's over there." she pointed to a door on the right most wall. Shepard must have missed it in his impaired state, "You're gonna be in here for three hours-"

"Three hours!"

"Don't ask questions, slave. Just do as we say." demanded the Drell, silencing any of John's protests. Turning to his own patient, he gave her a warm smile. "Ms. D'linarix, is there anything you need?"

"Naw, I'm good."

"Then, I'll come check on you in a few hours. Please remember to relax and not do anything to exacerbate your condition."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Nulli dismissed him with a wave. With a small bow, the Drell took her leave.

"Well," Chloe said cheerfully, trying to lift the mood. "If you two need anything, just use the intercom on the wall and someone will help you shortly. Is there anything you need, Mr. Shepard." he shook his head, "Then, I'll come check up on you in a few hours." with a bow similar to the Drell's, Chloe left.

As soon as the hatch closed behind her, John heard a reverberating whirling thrum start up. It made him nervous. He jerked in surprise when the white light of the room shifted hue to light blue. Looking at the ceiling and floor, he saw the edges of the honeycomb tiles now glowed in a shifting rainbow gradient. "Trippy." he mused aloud as he saw that the previously black strip along the wall was now pulsing red, like a beating heart. "So, is this kind of thing normal?"

"Pretty much."

Looking at the now blue dome in the center of the ceiling he asked, "You don't, by any chance, got a pack of cards do you?"

"Nope."

"Great." Shepard sighed and felt the fog on his mind start to lift. "Got any ways to pass the time?"

"A few." Nulli gave him a soft, seductive smile. Laying back on the bench, she feigns a yawn as she extends her arms to accentuate her bust. "Though, it really all depends on whether or not you're gonna remove the boxers."

"Sorry, I only like human girls." he repeated the mantra. Truth be told, John didn't know how much longer he was going to live. But still, making it with an Alien creep' d him the hell out.

Nulli laughed, "I like you, kid... Perhaps I'll buy you when you go to auction." she crossed her arms and smirked, "Never owned a human before; fucked a few, but never owned... Goddess! This is going to be fun, hee hee."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Bachjret ward. T'Soni apartment.**

**Time: 1930**

Returning to her apartment, Liara found Tali on the couch exactly where she had been when she left. She yawned, "Hey Tali." and tossed her set of keys onto the kitchen counter.

"Hey Liara, how'd the date go?"

Liara shrugged her shoulders and entered her room, a moment later she re-emerged dressed in comfy sweats. Pouring herself a glass of wine, she settled down on the couch next to her roommate. "It was okay... Anto was a perfect gentleman."

"Ahhhh."

"Don't do that Tali, you sound like a vorcha when you do."

"Sorry."

Moving under the blanket so they could share, Liara rested her head on Tali's shoulder, "What are we watching?"

"Something called: Pulp Fiction... It just started."

A few moments later, Laira sighed. "Tali, do you ever get the feeling that our life has become repetitive?"

Tali turned and her glowing eyes glared un-amused through her face plate, "speak for yourself, Liara. Today I had to repair a suit rupture and sterilize my injector assembly. Risking viral infection is never boring."

Liara took a sip of her wine, "You know what I mean."

Tali sighed, "Yeah, it's kinda boring..."

Liara sighs, "We need chocolate."

Tali giggled, "I was gonna say we need to get laid, but chocolate is good too."


	6. Chapter 6: Ties that Bind

**A/N:** _Italics_ indicate internal thought.

Please comment and review

* * *

**Ties That Bind**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Presidium Commons, Apollo Cafe.**

**Date: June 26th, 2180**

**Time: 0530 CST**

Covering her mouth as she yawned, Aethyta winced at the pounding in her head as she unlocked her Cafe's door. The chime rang as she entered and the Asari groaned at the ungodly sound. Clenching her fist, she muttered, "piss off," and a small sphere of biotic energy imploded the bell like a cheap soda can. "Drinking with Krogan. I'm too old for that shit," shaking her head disparagingly at her life choices, Aethyta sighed and clapped her hands, "Wake up, Daddy's home!"

On her command the lights in the quaint 50's diner come to life and the juke box began to play 1940's era human music. Closing her eyes, Aethyta lost herself to the melody of Arti Shaw's: Thanks for everything. As the big band plays, the gentle whirls of the several cleaning drones could be heard. A small smile came to the Asari's lips as she watched the little droids begin their waltz of sanitation.

When Aethyta bought the place from the previous owner, the cafe had been little more than a patio on the Presidium Commons. It was something people passed by on their way to do some shopping. After remodelling it to resemble a 1950's era human curb side dining car and re-branding it the Apollo Cafe, she had turned the overlooked establishment into a thriving small business. However, money wasn't her motivation. What mattered most to Aethyta was that the Cafe allowed her to keep tabs on her estranged Pure-blood daughter.

Busying herself with the morning routine, she heard the door open behind her along with two pairs of footsteps.

"Peg, do me a favour and double check our inventory. I think we're running low on steaks and hamburger patties... Goddess knows I love Krogan, but their double stomachs are killing my pantry." glancing at the broken stool and Krogan shaped dent in the metal bar counter, Aethyta sighed "and my furniture... When did this happen?"

"You don't remember?" Peggy; her human slave, replied with a good humoured smile.

"If I remembered I wouldn't be asking!" fumed Aethyta as she got the coffee machines ready for use. In recent years, more and more Turians had switched from drinking Kava to Coffee. Both beverages had similar amounts of caffeine, but since coffee was a liquid rather than a smoothie, the active ingredient was absorbed faster by the Turian stomach. Making Coffee the stimulant of choice for today's Turian on the go.

"Asari-female-progenitor, this one must utter a hurtful slander over the unsavory infliction used when addressing the human-female-servant known as: Peggy." chided her eldest daughter. The cyan hued Asari gently smiled when she felt the human place her hand on her shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze of thanks.

_I'm too sober for this shit._ The small, darkened ridge of blue flesh above Aethyta's left eye twitched in annoyance as the Matriarch took a deep breath. Exhaling through her nose like an enraged Nathrak, the Asari fixed the pair in a challenging gaze. "Shai'mo, stop talking like your father, and you, Peg, answer the bloody question."

Shai'mo flashed her mother a devious smirk, "I lived with him for practically my entire first century while you were off being a commando. I can't help it if some of his mannerisms stick," crossing her arms and glancing sideways she muttered, "You certainly weren't there."

"You're one hundred and fifty- Let it-" Aethyta scoffed and waved her hand, "I'm not having this discussion again." Looking at her daughter, "don't you have morning classes? Shouldn't you be off on your merry way?"

"Told you in the car that there's no food in the house." Shai'mo gave her mother a peck on the cheek, "I'll go grocery shopping after lecturers," walking into the kitchen to fix herself a meal she said in a singsong voice, "You know what they say: Can't learn on an empty stomach."

Letting the moment pass, Aethyta turned her attention back to Peggy. "So, what happened?"

Peggy shrugged her shoulders, "You threw Wrex into the bar after he headbutted you, or you headbutted him?" there was some confusion in her voice, "I don't know what started the whole shebang, but I know several bottles of Ryncol were what lit the fuse."

"Some help you are!" Aethyta huffed as she fished an aspirin bottle out from her jacket pocket. Fiddling with the baby proof cap, she slammed the bottle on the table and commanded, "Come here and open this."

Peggy walked over to her mistress and sweetly chided, "I'm sorry, but I'm old enough to know I don't like opening aspirin bottles." she saw her mistress fix her with a stare. Taking the bottle and opening it easily, "Big baby."

Crunching a few pills in her mouth, Aethyta smirked, "talk like that will not get you anything for your birthday."

"Please," Peggy ran a hand sensually down her side, accentuating her bust and curvaceous hips. "We both know if you ever want this again you'll pay the toll."

"Too much information!" came Shai'mo's cherry voice from the back. It was drowned out by a sudden, tell-tale, whoosh of flames and a stammered, "By the goddess!"

"You okay, squirt?" Aethyta asked before swallowing down the pills with a swig of water. "Need a med-kit?"

"No!" Aethyta internally sighed in relief, "but the stove's pilot light doesn't work. Nearly burnt my crest's off!" Shai'mo responded.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to get that fixed," sighing, the Matriarch closed her eyes and attempted to clear the lingering fog from her memories. She remembers the cheering chorus of several drunken Krogan. Then a blank. Then Wrex yelling something as he headbutts her. Then another blank. Then standing atop a passed out Wrex, cheering and thrusting a half empty bottle of Ryncol into the air. Then another blank. Then Peggy was dragging her home. Then another blank.

"Uhhhh... Ryncol." Aethyta groaned as flashes of images flood her mind. Watching the slave return from the back room, she noticed the fresh bell chime in her hand. " Shit! Wait!" eyes glazing over obsidian, Aethyta sighed in relief, "Thank the goddess; I'm not pregnant again."

"Again?" Peggy shook her head and giggled at her mistress's misery. "You really should consider cutting back."

"Again, TMI!" yelled Shai'mo.

"For fucks sake, stop acting like you're such pure maiden! You're in a sorority for Athame's sake! We all know what happens there!" Aethyta waved off her daughter's indignation, "Shit, not last week I caught you dragging a Turian into my house."

"Which the three of us then shared!" Shai'mo shot back as she emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate loaded with eggs, bacon, and sausage.

Peggy giggled, and the three ladies share a knowing look, "What was his name again? Krylos? Kryen?"

"Kryik." Both mother and daughter answered in unison.

"I wanted him for myself." pouted Shai'mo before stuffing her face with a forkful of scrambled eggs.

"If you wanted him for yourself you should've taken him to a hotel; you've got the credits." Aethyta crossed her arms and smirked.

Ten minutes later, Aethyta bid her daughter farewell and wished her a good day at University. After she was gone, Aethyta and Peg worked in tandem to finish getting the Cafe ready for the morning rush. They were shortly joined by Petozi, her Elcor fry cook. The Dekuuna native bid them hello and slowly lumbered off to the kitchen. A half hour before opening, the three were in the back room eating breakfast when they hear the door chime. Turning her head, Aethyta shouted, "COME BACK LATER. WE'RE NOT OPEN YET!"

"With feigned interest: Perhaps you should keep the lights off, Aethyta." Petozi remarked.

Hearing the door chime again and the footsteps of multiple people entering, the Matriarch sighed angrily and tossed her fork against her plate. "Can't people read the sign?" getting up and throwing open the partition separating the kitchen from the diner, she fumed, "We're not open yet! Can't you read the…..." her voice suddenly dies in her throat.

"Hello Aethy," came the calm and collected voice of Matriarch Benezia. She elegantly walked towards the café counter, clad in a traditional white Asari dress, she portrayed an image of beauty much greater than many Asari. While her imposing figure radiated a powerful aura of authority. She would cause many who looked upon her to become bewitched or truly intimidated, but Aethyta did not fall into either category.

Shifting her weight to her back foot, Aethyta surveyed the five, armed, Asari commando's taking position around her cafe. Walking to the counter she grabbed a rag and began wiping it down. "I take it this isn't a social call?" she asked none too kindly; her other hand slipped below the counter to grip the handle of her hidden shotgun. "What do you want?" as she spoke, Aethyta silently swivelled the barrel to point at her fellow Matriarch's torso.

The five commandos immediately raised their weapons to aim at Aethyta's head, before Benezia raised her hand and signalled them to lower their weapons.

"Now Aethy, I know manners were never your strong suit. But is that any way to speak to an old friend?"

Aethyta scoffed at the sickeningly sweet and innocent inflection of the woman's tone. "So we're friends now?" she asked, masking the cocking sound of her shotgun. A long and heavy silence formed between the two Matriarchs as they size each other up. It lingered for several tense moments before it was broken by Peggy coming out to ask what was going on.

"Who's this, Aethy?"

Aethyta softened her posture slightly and sighed, "Peggy, meet Benezia T'Soni. Benezia, say hello to Peggy."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Benezia smiles and bows her head.

"Peggy, say goodbye to Benezia," the human has a puzzled expression on her face. Aethyta uses her free hand to turn the human around, "Uh, Matriarch talk." and scoots her off to the back room. The human disappears.

"I never took you for a slave owner, Aethy." Benezia flashes her former bondmate a coy smile.

"Times change. I never took you for a vindictive, backstabbing, manipulative bitch... So, I guess we're both full of surprises." Aethyta's expression then turned grim, "she was in danger of not being sold, you know what those four-eyed bastards would have done to her."

Benezia nodded solemnly.

Aethyta studied Benezia's features for any hint as to the nature of this arrival. "What is it you want?" she restated.

"I know you may find it hard to believe, Aethy, but I still do care for you." Benezia said softly as she took a seat at the bar, "I simply wish to share a pleasant conversation with the father of my child. Over a cup of tea, perhaps?"

"Pleasant conversation?" Aethyta scoffed, "You're incapable of just "talking" Nezzy. Normal people talk, you dictate. But go ahead, regale me with empty adulation. We both know you're really here for Liara."

"Very well, have it your way." Benezia sighed, disappointed at the gloomy mood her former lover has cast over the room. "You can rest assured there's nothing sinister about my visit. I simply wish to reconnect with our daughter."

"Does Liara know you're coming?"

"It wasn't planned, if that's what you're asking. Councillor Irissa requested my assistance with some urgent matters of State. So here I am, serving my people." Aethyta gave her a hard glare as she pours her former lover a cup of tea.

"Yeah you've been getting real friendly with that little bitch since she stole Tevos' position."

Benezia turned away with an uncomfortable expression, "She was chosen by the matriarchs…"

"Pyjak shit" Aethyta interrupted, "that little shit is barley a matriarch but now she's the Asari council member," Aethyta fixed Benezia with another glare "You were friends with Tevos for centuries Nezzy, but you still stabbed her in the back so you wouldn't look bad."

"That's not fair Aethyta," Benezia responded harshly, she then took a deep breath to compose herself. "Anyway, it was all rather short notice, really... So, seeing as I'm already here, I don't see why I should let this opportunity go to waste."

Aethyta sighed and shook her head. She knew Nezzy had ulterior motives, she always did, but Aethyta also knew nothing short of torture would get the Matriarch to spill. "You promised me you'd let her go her own way, no matter what you wanted."

"I'll be gentle, Aethy, I promise."

"That's what you said last time, and the time before that, and the time before that!" Aethyta slammed her fist against the counter, "The tighter you squeeze, the more she slips through your fingers... You can't try to force a relationship with her. You have to stop pressuring her, Nezzy."

"Pressure makes diamonds."

"Pressure also makes rocks crumble."

Benezia took a sip of her tea, "And after a good whipping, cream rises to the top."

"So does scum." Aethyta shot back with a snide smirk. All of this was old hat by now. Every couple of decades or so, Benezia would suddenly force herself into their lives like a passing comet, yet all it ever accomplished was to push their daughter further and further away. "You're treating her like a baby bird, Nezzy, one day, she's gonna raise one hell of a storm."

"I told you, I've learned my lesson." Benezia stated icily, ending the discussion. "This won't be like Illium."

"It damn well better not be. Liara's happy here, Nezzy... She's got a career she loves and friends who care for her, and I swear to the fucking Goddess if you force her to flee again, Daddy's getting involved."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Huerta Memorial.**

**Time: 0800 CST**

"How can you say your life is boring, Liara? You have, quite possibly, the most interesting life of anyone I've ever met!" Johnathan said, rather mystified by the Asari's statement as he rolled onto his left side. "I mean: you're an alien, living on an alien space station, with other aliens. Do you have any idea how cool that sounds! For thousands of years my species dreamed of such a life- Oooh that's cold," he arched his back on reflex as she sprayed his spine with a sterilizing agent.

"Forgot to preheat, sorry," apologized Liara, her soft voice had that adorably cute innocence to it. "And you know what? I absolutely deplore it when people use false equivalency to justify their reasoning. That's like telling a Drell with Kepral's Syndrome, or an Asthmatic: "What do you mean you're having trouble breathing? Look at all this air around you!"

Johnathan chuckled as he shot back, "Or telling humanity, who abolished slavery three centuries ago: "What do you mean you have a problem with slavery? Slavery is an essential part of galactic culture!" he couldn't see it, but he hoped his blow had landed on receptive ears.

"Yes, life's just filled with disappointments isn't it?" he could tell it was a rhetorical question, "Now, you're going to feel a tiny pinch; that's just the local anaesthetic," a moment later, John felt a tiny prick and then a coolness spreading across his lower back. Removing the needle, Liara dabbed the injection site with a gauze swab to clear away a droplet of blood.

"That wasn't so bad," John joked as he heard movement behind him.

Liara grinned slightly at his little display of male bravado as she took a testing needle and gently prodded the operation site, "Do you feel that?" she asked, waiting for his reply.

"No."

"Okay, how about this?" she asked him again as she poked another section around his L3/L4 vertebrae.

"Can't feel a thing."

"Good." satisfied that the numbing agent had reached full effect, she picked up the lumbar puncture from the medical tray and ripped open its protective packaging. "Alright, John. I'm going to need you to remain perfectly still."

"What happens if I don't?" he asked curiously

"Well, the deleterious effects can range from minor nerve damage to total paralysis of your lower extremities." Shepard gulped, and she felt him flinch. "Rest easy, John, you're in very capable hands."

"I trust you."

The statement brought an inward smile to the Asari's lips. She enjoyed the human's company; he was pleasant to be around; more than pleasant really, and, when he praised her, she felt as if sunshine had kissed her cheek. It certainly didn't hurt that by Asari standards, Shepard was an exceptionally desirable mate. He possessed all the qualities her kind sought: perfect genes, perfect physic, above average IQ, and he was a natural biotic to boot! It was almost as if the Goddess herself had sculpted humanity to forever serve the daughters of Thessia, she was beginning to see why many Asari might want to own a human.

Liara told herself that these feelings were just purely physiological. A neurological response to altered hormone levels caused by her maidenhood's biological desire to acquire new stimuli. Perfectly normal for an Asari her age, after all she had heard many maidens boast about how wonderful their new slave was, how good it was to have a hunky human male in their arms. The same thing had happened when she'd met Tali'Zorah.

With his back turned to Liara, it was increasingly difficult for Shepard to remember that that wonderful voice was connected to an Alien body. A body that belonged to a galactic public who showed no qualms about slavery. A body that belonged to a species who'd gladly use him as a toy, a sex slave, and then discard him when they grew bored. But, deep down, he wanted; no, needed to believe Liara was incapable of such wickedness.

"Just relax, take steady breaths, and don't make any sudden movements." Inserting the spinal needle in-between the vertebrae, Liara gently pushed until she felt it give way. "Okay, passing through the ligamentum flavum," applying more pressure and keeping her hands steady, she felt it give way again. "Passing the dura mater."

"Is it normal to talk your patients through the procedure?"

"Sorry, it helps me focus. Does it bother you? I can stop if it does."

"No, it's actually quite reassuring." even her nervousness was adorable, "Lets me know you didn't get your medical license from a Kinder egg."

"What is a Kinder egg?" she asked as she withdrew the stylet from the spinal needle and began collecting the cerebrospinal fluid. Knowing Mordin wanted as much as safely possible, Liara filled three small vials.

"You know what ligamentum flavum is, but not Kinder eggs." John chided and, remembering her warning to not move, repressed a chuckle. Not wishing to be cruel he told her, "they're a chocolate candy that's manufactured by an Italian company. Under the chocolate shell is a small plastic container with a toy, usually a puzzle or something."

"Sounds dangerous." Liara said as she finished up and withdrew the needle, "Why would your species put small, non-food items in food?" she sealed the site with a gauze bandage. "Sounds like a choking hazard... You can roll over now, we're through."

"I don't really know why we do it," relaxing back onto his bed, John readjusted his hospital gown before Liara reattached his leg and arm restraints.

"Isn't Kinder a German word?" Liara asked curiously.

Shepard smiled and threw up his hands as much as he could, "Welcome to humanity, the species that looks at logic in the face and goes: "Yeah, we don't need that," she laughed demurely and he raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "I'm just impressed you know some German."

Liara's cheeks blushed violet at the compliment and she turned away in embarrassment. That warming, fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach was back. "I've told you before that I have a thing for languages," handing the vials off to a waiting nurse, "they fascinate me. The sheer vast variety of them; almost as many as stars in the night sky," distracting herself with clean-up, "It's a bit of a medical fascination too; the tongue is such a spellbinding organ."

"Is it now?" he questioned, his tone asking her for more as the nurse left.

"It truly is an amazing organ, Johnathan. A fleshy muscle that can not only nimbly and dexterously master multitudes of patterns, shapes, and sequences to give life to our inner most thoughts but can also taste and feel textures so fine they would be missed by our hands."

He so did enjoy the giddy infliction her melodious voice took-on when she was excited. "I'm rather particular to smell, myself. How a simple aromatic chain of organic molecules can evoke our deepest amorous emotions."

Mid-turn, out of the corner of her eyes, Liara's caught his gaze. But something was different. Johnathan wasn't looking at her like he normally did. She felt a spark in her core and instantly adverted her gaze. _You're just imagining things, Liara. It's just in your head. It's just in your head._ She told herself, repeating the mantra yet at the same time she found herself moving closer to his bed side.

"Smell is good, I'll give you that. But did you know that since our tongues are constantly tasting themselves, our brains block the signal?" _Good Liara, good. Distract yourself with medical trivia and don't focus on how sexy Shepard looks. All shackled, helpless, vulnerable... By the Goddess! What's happening to me?!_

Before she was even aware what was happening she, had leaned down closer to Shepard, "Are…are you comfortable enough? You have other… other tests to complete…" Liara's voice trailed off, still not seeming to register the fact her face had been moving closer to Shepard's with each word.

"Yeah…Yeah, I'm…" Shepard's voice also trailed off as he gazed into Liara's eyes. There lips were now inches away, every fibre of Johnathan's body wanted to go for it, then suddenly he heard something that couldn't have been there, "_don't quit on me farm boy_." Suddenly Shepard seemed to register what was about to happen and turned his head away.

"Liara, I'm sorry I shouldn't have…" he stammered. _Dammit Shepard, she saved your life you can't take advantage of her like that._

"No, it's not your fault, I was the one trying to …"

"Ahem!" Mordin coughed, revealing himself to be standing in the room's doorway. "Don't mean to interrupt, Dr T'Soni. But Mr. Shepard has other tests to complete."

In unison, John's and Liara's eyes widened like deer caught in headlights. For a half second, they just stared into each other's eyes in shock before Liara jerked her body away.

"By the Goddess! I'm-"

"Well, well, well, Liara." Dr Chakwas snickered, "Shepard was scheduled for a bone marrow extraction, but given your-*Ahem*- proximity to the poor lad, I think we should skip that and go straight to the saliva sample. Dr Solus?"

"Seems aptly prudent." The salarian replied as he tapped a few buttons on his omni-tool.

Liara blinked a few times then looked at John. "By the Goddess! I'm... Uhh, this... Er... He and me... Goddess." her speech delineated into a stammering of Um's and barely audible Goddess's!

Shepard watched Liara's meltdown and saw her face shift from blue, to violet, to deep purple. He didn't know if Asari could die from embarrassment, but if there ever was a test case, Laira was surely a contender. Finally, she blew a fuse and just stopped muttering altogether.

"I should. I should go." Lowering her head, Liara covered her face with her hands and stormed out the door.

Karin stepped in front of the fleeing Asari with a grin on her face "Darling, hold on for a second," when the poor girl looked up, she saw the welling tears. "Just to clarify, because there will be a discussion when you leave, what exactly did Shepard say to almost make you give him a tonsillectomy with your tongue?"

Liara's eyes widened and she pushed past Karin.

"Where you going, honey?" Chakwas called after her; poking her head down the hall, "Don't you know its poor manners to get them revved up with no release!?" Liara froze in place as she felt untold scores of eyes upon her. "Don't forget! You have clinic hours from 2-8!" Karin called out as she saw Liara duct around a corner.

"Karin, that was rather cruel." Mordin snipped at his slave.

"Yeah, but it was fun." Crossing her arms, Karin watched a Batarian nurse wheel in a specimen collection tower. "God, I haven't had that much fun since the war," glancing at John, "So what did you say? You sly dog you."

Shepard coughed, "Nothing, it's not important."

Chakwas grinned, "Oh that didn't look like…"

"It's not important." Shepard responded more forcefully. Chakwas seemed taken aback before she nodded her head and walked away. Shepard leant back against his bed. _Damn it what did I do?_

* * *

**A/N: **If anyone can provide me an answer to this question, I would greatly appreciate it

In the mass effect universe is there something that prevents someone from picking up and using an enemies weapon in a fight?


	7. Chapter 7: The Choice

**A/N:** _Italics_ indicate internal thought.

To answer reviews

**Mandrake109:** Thanks for the info

**Endrius: **The girl who was shot was not Ash, she will have a bigger part later on. I'll see about the geth but I already have most of the story planned out.

Please comment and review

* * *

**The Choice**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Huerta Memorial.**

**Date: June 26th, 2180**

**Time: 1205 CST**

Tugging on the restraints lashing his arms to the bed, Johnathan winced as a tingling ache radiated up his spine. It seemed the Batarian nurse had felt the need to tighten his bonds to straight jacket levels of immobilization.

Tagging the nurse call button, an Asari entered his room and he gave her some words about being in pain. She said some words meant to comfort and keyed her override code into the PCA (Patient-controlled analgesia). He thanked her and joked about the absurdity of a machine meant for the Patient to control, yet couldn't, as he memorized her code. He didn't know what use it would be, outside of self-medication, but he memorized it all the same.

She shot back a comment about slaves committing suicide via overdose.

Shepard soon felt liquid relief drown out the sizzling in his nerves. With his lucidity becoming increasingly impaired, John closed his eyes and his mind drifted to thoughts of the kiss he almost shared with Laira. He was still beating himself up over that, she had been one of the only people in this damn place to treat him with some kindness, and he had tried to take advantage of her innocence. He recalled how it felt just before they kissed, he admitted it felt good.

But it didn't feel right, not like with Ash.

He grimaced as he remembered time was not on his side. Johnathan knew his devil's pact had bought him at most an extra week. He had to capitalize on the opportunity, and soon.

But how would he do it?

Shepard felt another wave roll over his mind and knew these thoughts would have to wait. For now, he was content with letting go and surfing these euphoric waves for as long as possible. Mind drifting from dream to reality and then back to dream.

He didn't know how much time had passed but when he came back to reality, he noticed he wasn't alone. There was a familiar human in his room, holding his chart. "Daniel?" John weakly coughed through his terribly dry throat.

"So you are awake," said Daniel, a smirk on his face. "Boy, they got you on some pretty swell painkillers... How you feeling?"

"Confused," he coughed again and licked his chapped lips. Struggling to sit upright, he drank from the cup of water Daniel offered and swished the fluid around his mouth before swallowing. "I may be hallucinating; But is that a doctors robe I see?"

"You're not, John, this is real." Daniel mused as he pulled up a chair and sat down. Glancing at the specimen collection device in the corner of the room, "Seem's like you're having fun."

"Oh yes, getting needles stuck in my bones and spine. I'm having the time of my life." Shepard drolled sarcastically, "Why is that infernal contraption still here? I gave Mordin his sample."

"Seems he wants more for test purposes, so get comfortable." Daniel then gained an amused expression and jested with a playful nudge of Shepard's shoulder. "Maybe you'd prefer a certain Asari doctor coming to attend you?" his tone insinuated suggestively.

"So, you heard about that huh?"

Daniel loosely smirked before shifting his features and becoming serious. "I owe you one. What you did for me. I'm in your debt."

"Daniel, consider us even," Shepard squirmed in bed so he could carry on the conversation eye to eye. "Trust me, you don't owe me anything." Daniel went to say something but John cut him off. "We're even," he said firmly, "you saved the lives of every human on that slave ship, including mine. I'm simply repaying the favour."

"You say it like you're paying back a twenty-credit bar tab." Daniel said in disbelief. "Bone marrow, spinal fluid, biopsy of your kidneys, heart, lung, liver, stomach, intestines... These are not the actions one takes for a person they just met, John."

Shepard shrugged, "Mordin needed samples for his research into the N7 program. As the offspring of two N7's, my genetic template is the best candidate he has to further his studies." Shepard blandly replied, like he was reading the back of a book. "We each have something the other needs. I trade him my body and in exchange Huerta buys your contract and employs you as a doctor. It's a win win."

Daniel fixed him in a gaze.

"Look..." he sighed, "call it a family motto; or a deeply ingrained character flaw, but: A Shepard always repays his debts... I owed you. Now the debt has been repaid... My family's honour has been restored."

"You realize normal people don't act this way, right?"

"Yeah, but they think it" John chuckled.

After a momentary pause, Daniel sighed and cautiously looked around before slipping something into Shepard's hand; whispering, "take this."

Feeling the objects dimensions, it was about the size of a standard credit chit. "What this?" he asked as he pressed the rounded back against his palm and ran his index finger across the smooth front.

"The key to your salvation," Daniel hushed, "when the time comes, press the front bit against the back bit of your slave collar and it'll short out the electronics."

"What do you mean when the times right?" John whispered back.

"I have contacts on the Citadel, John. Contacts that'll more than happily take you back to your home." Daniel brought up his omni-tool to make it look like he was doing something, "I had a plan. Then you happened, and now I no longer need it."

Dropping the whisper, "So you like the job then?"

"Yes, it's fantastic!" Daniel followed suit, "Don't get me wrong, I'm going to miss Horizon, but Huerta Memorial is the top medical facility in the galaxy. I've dreamed of working here since med-school. Horizon Memorial was bush league compared to Huerta."

"I see-Aughff!" Shepard guffawed as he found himself on the receiving end of a long hug.

Daniel pressed his lips next to John's ear and whispered, "Transports called: Silver Typhon. It's moored at docking bay 94 in the Zakera Ward shipyards. It leaves in six hours. Be on it," pulling away he clasped his friend on the shoulder.

"Well, I leave you to get some rest. You're going to need your strength when your working Zakera Ward's Free Clinic."

Shepard coughed, "What now?"

Daniel had a shit eating grin on his face, "I had a nice talk with our physical therapist. Both Dr Michel and I agree it would do you some good if you got some fresh air. I thought you'd jump at the chance; what with you confined to that bed morning, noon, and night."

Shepard slowly nodded and pursed his lips, "You two can actually pull this off?"

"Wasn't all that hard." Daniel shifted his weight to his back foot, "All we had to do was get an attending to sign off on the paperwork. Dr Chakwas was more than happy to sign once we told her Dr T'Soni would be working the clinic." John rolled his eyes, "And since you're technically Liara's slave, Huerta doesn't have an issue with property assisting their masters."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean: I'm Liara's slave?"

"Didn't you know?" Daniel chuckled, "Captain Anto signed our contracts over to her. Temporarily, mind you, until we're medically fit for sale. In essence, she owns us... Well you... As of 0200 today, I'm property of Dr Mordin Solus." His omni-tool beeped, "shit I gotta go; don't want to be late for afternoon rounds."

With that, John watched Daniel dart out of the room. Slipping the device up his sleeve, he mulled the plan over. Unlike before, Johnathan now had the means, the opportunity, and his biotics to aid in his escape, he still had the scalpel as a makeshift weapon. It was far from a perfect plan, a long shot really, but if it meant getting to see his family again he had take it.

_I'll get back to you hellcat_

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Huerta memorial.**

**Time: 1335 CST**

"And in our top story, representatives from the-" *click*

"Hierarchy Alliance State Department met with-" *click*

"the Council today, to discuss the Hegemony's growing concerns-" *click*

"over the Hierarchy's continuing refusal to share-" *click*

"advance military technology captured after the end of the Pan-Galactic Contact War. -" *click*

"In a statement from General Legatus-" *click*

"Under no circumstance will the Hierarchy Alliance allow the proliferation of this new technology -" *click*

"Would you please be so kind as to stop doing that?" Miranda demurely asked; her debonair voice laced with a soothing eloquence that radiated poise and nobility. Her posture, much like her tone, was relaxed and graceful; concealing her true feelings on the matter. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, the Spaniard from the great white north lackadaisically rolled his chocolate brown eyes. "Why? Does it... Bother you?" Kaiden was sitting on the examination table still in his white armour, except with his helmet removed, exposing the large collection of fresh bruises and cuts on the right side of his face.

Knowing direct confrontation was exactly what he wanted, Miranda opted for being passive aggressive instead. Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she let out a noticeably disappointed sigh. Kaidan was all too quick to respond, "I don't even know why we are here in the first place, Miranda?"

"She claimed it would be a good idea if we got an earlier impression," Miranda stated almost nervously.

Kaidan rolled his eyes as the door opened and Miranda saw a familiar Asari walk in.

"Greetings, Mr. Alenko. I'm doctor Liara T'Soni, I'll be treating y- by the goddess what happened!?." Liara exclaimed as she looked up from her data pad and saw the mass of bruising on his face. Before Kaiden could respond Liara registered the other human in the room, "Miranda? What a small world; it's a pleasure to see you again." Preparing the speech he and Miranda had choreographed earlier, Kaidan's eyes shifted between the pair, "You two know each other?" Miranda bowed her head in reverence to the Asari and mused, "not intimately, no, we met in a restroom while I was having that meeting with General Oraka last night."

Kaiden recalled when he had first been told about this Asari, and the significance of her name. It was a secret, known only to those who serviced the upper echelon of Thessian society, that there were only a handful of families you never cross. Ancient families. Families whose bloodlines could be traced back more than a hundred generations to the founding of the Asari Republics.

T'Soni was one of those.

"Mr. Alenko-"

"You can call me Kaidan, doctor T'Soni."

"Oh... Um. Thank you... Well, Kaidan," reaching into her lab-coat and taking out a pair of sterilized gloves, "may I ask how received these injuries?" there was a crisp snap of latex as the gloves moulded to her hands.

Kaidan scratched the back of his head, "let's just say it was a work-related incident."

Liara pulled back and glanced between the two humans, "You're a slave for the Consort as well?" Miranda was quick to speak up, "which is why you'll understand our need to keep things... Discrete."

Liara started to scan Kaiden's face with her omni-tool, she then activated its flashlight function and shined it into Kaiden's right eye.

"How long will he be out of commission, doctor?" Miranda asked.

"Depends if he sustained any sort of concussion from the head injury. Perhaps a month?"

Liara turned her attention back to her patient. "I doubt this is life threatening, and you haven't sustained any damage to your eye, but you can never be too careful," Liara mused as she finished her examination, "You said this was work related, but... How exactly did this happen?"

Kaiden began his prepared line, "well as you know mistress Sha'ira has many dealings on the citadel and her acolytes help her with these. My job is escorting them to meetings and dinner dates and ensuring that others do not try to interfere with them."

Kaiden paused for a second and then continued, "last night I was escorting Miranda back to the consort's chambers when we were attacked by a group of Xenophobic human haters."

"And that's where you sustained those injuries?" Liara asked in an alarmed tone.

Both the humans let out a laugh. "No, we put their faces in the ground before they could blink. This was done by the C-sec officers who came to investigate," Kaiden replied trying to keep his face straight.

"And a quick word from the consort to their captain and they will be stuck giving parking tickets for the next few years," Miranda remarked amused.

With an uncomfortable expression Liara handed him a prescription, "Here, this is just for basic pain killers, but I hope they help."

"Thank you." Kaidan flashed the Asari a smile as he took the prescription.

"You're welcome. I do hope you recover quickly," Liara felt her omni-tool buzz. "You can fill that at our pharmacy on level three," silencing the alarm she set to coincide with midday rounds, "Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

"No, I think we can handle it from here." Miranda replied warmly and respectfully bowed her head, "It was a pleasure to see you again, Laira."

"Likewise." Liara returned the bow, "A nurse will be by shortly to see you out."

"Hey Liara" Miranda and Kaiden both turned their head to the new voice and saw Shepard carrying several cases under his arms. "I've got the supplies you requested for the clinic. How soon are we going?"

"Thank you Johnathan, I have just finish with this patient, so we will be heading to the clinic now."

John's gaze shifted to the gorgeous raven-haired women wearing a white Asari dress and the man in white armour. As he made eye contact with each of them, he thought he saw every muscle in their bodies tense up and looks of terror appear on their faces, as if they had seen something awful. But as soon as it appeared it vanished, and they returned to their relaxed poses.

Miranda adopted a mischievous expression, "who's your friend Liara?"

"This is Johnathan Shepard, he has been temporarily placed in my care before going to market," Liara said trying to avoid any awkwardness.

"Shepard? Famous name, I am Miranda Lawson and this is Kaiden Alenko." Miranda paced around seemingly studying him, "Impressive, and a biotic. Perhaps I will recommend mistress Sha'ira to buy him. We could use another strapping young man to escort us around."

"Okay" Shepard replied uneasily.

"Trust me Shepard, it's great you spend all day surrounded by the galaxies most beautiful women," Kaiden said jokingly.

"We need to leave or we're going to be late for my shift." Liara quickly exclaimed

"Sure, well nice to meet you both," Shepard quickly turned around and followed Liara out of the Hospital. Not noticing the eyes of Kaiden and Miranda locked onto his retreating form with grim expressions on their faces.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower wards. Refuse collection and recycling centre.**

**Time: 1400 CST**

"...Once more we sail with a blue-shifting gale towards our migrant home. Our drive-core charged, our pilgrimage done and we ain't got far to roam. Six hellish months we toiled away under hostile Alien eyes. But now we're bound from the Council's realm, Rolling down to Old Qwib-Qwib!"

"Rolling down to Old Qwib-Qwib, me boys, Rolling down to Old Qwib-Qwib! We're fleet-ward bound from the Council's realm, Rolling down to Old Qwib-Qwib!"

"Once more we sail with a blue-shifting gale through the cold vacuum of space. Them big grey hulls, Them beautiful ships we soon shall see again. Our people's laments are carried away ward, what care they for our plight. A mechanized gale is after us, Thank the Ancestors we're fleet-ward bound."

Tali'Zorah hummed the songs chorus as she scanned the towering piles of refuse for hidden trinkets. The Citadel's reclamation dump was a well known hunting ground for pilgrims, as the stench of rotting sewage kept away all but the most desperate of scavengers. But aroma wasn't an issue for the species who lived in hermetically sealed enviro-suits. All Tali had to do was shut-down her suits olfactory receptors and the refuse might as well smell like the botanical gardens on the Presidium.

Occasionally, she would come across a fellow Quarian and stop to share a kind word, or, if they were interested, see what they had to trade. As transient traveling vagabonds, every pilgrim carried with them a digital manifest of their salvage, and, after a quick sync of 'Tools, commonalities would be highlighted so the parties could efficiently hammer out a deal.

Alerted by a beep in her helmet to something shiny, Tali re-scanned the garbage pile again and let out a tiny gasp. "Keelah! An intact T-19 power converter! If I can refurbish it, it'll sell it for a pretty-penny on the Net-Exchange!" dropping her rucksack, she gleefully rubbed her hands together and whispered, "Best. Day. Ever!"

"What's a penny?" asked an unfamiliar warbled voice behind her.

Leaping back in surprise, Tali trained her pistol at the figure and activated her combat drone. "Identify yourself!... This is my shiny, and I don't plan on sharing!" her tone was forceful, but wavered noticeably.

"Damn, Tali, settle down," replied the figure with a chuckle as he raised his hands. "I'm not gonna steal your shiny."

Tali's glowing eyes narrowed as the voice sounded somewhat familiar. Recognition dawned as she looked at the red and silver suit, slightly lowering her pistol, Tali practically yelled, "Reegar?!"

"The one and only," Kal went to lower his hands but the whirling growl of Tali's drone had them shooting back up. Nervously eyeing the electrostatic discharge hitting the ground. "Could you be a pal and call that thing off?"

"I don't know?" Tali hummed deviously, "Maybe Chatika vas Paus should teach you a lesson for sneaking up on me?" picking up on her master's intent, a spark shot out from Chatika's rotating outer blue arms and gave Reegar a tiny jolt. It was harmless, but enough to make him yelp.

"Ow, okay okay-*zzzt*-I'm-*zzzt*- Ancestors! Dam-*Chhh*" Kal's voice died out and all Tali heard was static. Tilting her head, she found it hard to not giggle as she watched her friend animatedly flail about in silence as he undoubtedly screamed inside his helmet.

"Come here, Chatika," lavishing the drone with affectionate love rubs and head scratches, Tali cooed. "Good girl. Good girl, Chatika. You taught that bad man a lesson didn't you. Awwww, such a good combat drone... Now, time to go back to your home," giving the man a glare, Chatika bounced three times and on the third bounce shrank to the size of a baseball and flew back into her masters Omni-Tool. "Keelah, you are too adorable."

"Why thank you Ma'am. You're not too bad yourself," Reegar replied with a suave tone and final smack of his helmet, "Ah, there we go, I can talk again."

Tali blushed, "I wasn't talking to you."

"All the same, Ma'am. All the same."

Shying away from Reegar's increasingly hot gaze, Tali mumbled, "Playboy bosh'tet," as she fidgeted with her hands and focused back on her shiny prize. Using a probing scan to examine the piles structural integrity, her suits V.I. crunched the numbers and overlaid a digital wire-frame on her face-masks HUD; highlighting which pieces to remove and what order to remove them in.

Kal'Reegar did the same and let out a whistle, "It's deep in their alright."

"I can get it." Tali snipped, "I uh... Just need to think for a moment."

"You're gonna-*zzzt*-to-*zzzzt*- it out."

The first time his speaker had cut out, Tali had found it funny, now her curiosity had been peaked. "What happened to you? I know the zap Chatika gave you couldn't have caused your system to go haywire. So what gives?" Reegar smacked his helmet again and Tali saw the glowing mouth light reignite.

"I was looking in a dumpster behind one of those tech shops in the upper wards," shrugging his shoulders, "Anyway, someone startled a Hanar and he inked all over the place. The shop keep was rather pissed; I think, never can tell with Elcore."

"And how does that relate to your vocal synthesizer being damaged?"

"Bosh'tets have mighty big hands." deadpanned Reegar, "And poor peripheral vision."

Tali blinked, "You were... Stepped on?"

"More like smacked... Word to the wise, don't sneak up on 'em. Big lugs get pretty jumpy."

Tali crossed her arms, a broad smile on her lips, "and after all that you still thought it was a good idea to sneak up on me!"

"So, you're saying I should get a tactical cloak."

Tali threw up her arms in frustration, "Keelah-fucking-se'lai, you're hopeless."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Zakera Ward Free Clinic**

**Time: 1430 CST**

The ambulance ride to the clinic had been tense to say the least, and John could have cut the awkwardness in the air with a knife. They made mindless small talk in between songs on the radio and stole glimpses of each other when the other wasn't looking.

Johnathan thought that things would be better when they reached the clinic, and it was, but not by much. The busy work helped; setting up beds, preparing medications... It was a welcome distraction, but it was a distraction none the less. And because of the less than spacious layout of the clinic, it wasn't as if they could avoid bumping into each other.

The first time it had happened they had both nervously apologized and retreated. Shepard more so than her as he'd become accustomed to associating any infraction with punishment and pain. Even though he knew no one at the hospital would ever mistreat him to the extent the slave catchers had.

Hand in his pocket, Shepard's finger brushed the key to his slave collar. His thoughts floated back to the conversation he had with Mordin about who he'd be sold too. Mordin had tried to reassure him that because of his family's name recognition, he would most likely be bought by a high-ranking Turian family; as a prized and valued trophy, or by a wealthy and affluent Asari family; as a prized pet or breeding stock. Either way, Mordin told him to expect a huge sum to be forked over for his contract.

He also knew that if he escaped under Liara's care then there was a good chance that she would be held responsible for that. The last thing he wanted to do was get her in trouble after she saved his life, but he also knew this might be his only chance.

Seeing a brown and black suited Volus stumble through the clinic door, John eyed the credit chit falling out of his front pocket. Rushing over to help the wheezing ball of exo-suit, Shepard soothed, "Here, let me help you sir," and pilfered the loose credit chit; slipping it up his sleeve. _Sorry Liara, but I can't risk it._

"Get *shhhck* off me *shhhck* Earth-clan."

Looking to see what all the commotion was all about, Liara saw the Volus shove Shepard with his stubby little arms. Granted, it wasn't like a species that barely topped one meter could do much harm to a human, but it angered her, nonetheless. Striding over purposefully she declared, "What is going on here?" seeing the Volus about to go for Shepard again, she used her biotics and placed him in a stasis.

"Release me, Thessia-clan. *shhhck* Or I'll call C-sec and sue!"

Raising an amused eyebrow, Shepard crossed his arms and smirked, "Is that really necessary?"

"It's not meant to restrain him. It's just to make sure he doesn't puncture his suit." replied Laira as she lowered her glowing blue hand, "Sir, I need you to stop and take a deep breath." Shepard stifled a chortle. "*shhhck* You're *shhhck* Mocking *chhhck* me Thessia-Clan! Just because the Vol-Clan need *shhhck*"

"It was a poor choice of words, sir, I apologize," said Liara as she released control of the dark energy. Free once more, the Volus threw up a hand and dismissed her statement. "Now that you've calmed down, can you tell me what is the matter?"

"My head hurts."

"Your head hurts." Liara narrowed her eyes, "Can you be more specific?" Shepard watched the Volus waddle over to an empty med-bed. Taking Liara's cue, he lowered it to the ground and silenced his mirth as the alien struggled to get on top. "*shhhck* I hit my head, Thessia-Clan. I pay my taxes. *shhhck* Now help me."

"I'm trying to, sir, but it would help to know the nature of your medical emergency." Shepard could tell from her tone that she was struggling to maintain her patience. The Volus's head lowered, as if in embarrassment or humiliation, and there was a long silence. A moment later it was broken by the hissing of his mask and a meek muttering, "A rude Tuchanka-clan punted me into a storage crate." John couldn't hold in his laughter as the mental image of a 7ft tall, quarter-ton Krogan, field goal kicking this Volus ran through his mind. "*shhhck* Stop! *shhhck* Mocking! *shhhck* Me! Slave!"

"Apologies." John continued to laugh and gripped his hurting sides. Balling his hands into fists, his eye slots widened as he realized something was missing. "*shhhck* My credit-chit! It's missing!" the Volus turned his ire on the impudent slave, "*shhhck* YOU STOLE IT EARTH-CLAN! *shhhck*"

Johnathan wiped a tear from his eye, looking bewildered. "What? Why? What... Why would I have your chit!?"

The Volus jabbed Shepard in the chest, "*shhhck* Earth-Clan are no good thieves. *shhhck* Just like clan-less Quarians." John pushed the hand off his chest and laughed, "How would I even know you had a credit-chit on you to steal!?"

"Just like a thief to deny thievery! *shhhck*" Shepard threw up his arms and chuckled disbelievingly, "First you attack me and now you're claiming I stole from you!?" Liara jumped in and told them both to calm themselves if for only the sake of the other patients, lowering his hands, Shepard stealth-fully slipped the pilfered chit in-between the gurney's mattress's and stood back. Raising his arms to his side, "Master, scan me and show this creep that I don't have his bloody chit!"

Entering the free clinic, Tali saw the commotion and shuffled over to see what was going on. "What's all this now?" she asked as an Asari doctor and Kal'Reegar helped her onto the bed next to the loudmouth Volus. "By the goddess!" Liara's hand went to her mouth when she saw the red stained purple live-suit. Rushing to her friend's aid, "What happened?"

"My left arm was breached." Tali shrugged nonchalantly, "Trust me, Liara, it looks much worse than it actually is," noticing the slave, Tali's eyes practically smiled. "Is that him; that's him isn't it?" Introducing himself, Shepard asked, "Doesn't your species die when their suit gets ruptured?" Tali laughed, "No, our immune systems aren't that weak; Ancestors be praised." raising her arm, "As you can see, only about an inch of my skin was exposed."

"EXCUSE ME! *shhhck* But are you going to do something about that theif! *shhhck*" Shepard rolled his eyes, placed his hands on his hips and glared at the Volus, "For the last time, I didn't steal your damn chit!"

As fed up with this as Johnathan was, Liara directed him to stand over by Kal and activated her omni-tool. It came to no one's surprise that Shepard didn't have the Volus's chit. "There, as you can see, he doesn't have it on him. Scan him for yourself if you don't believe me," the Volus did so and muttered, "Well... *shhhck* He could have taken it."

Before anyone could say anything, Shepard jumped at the opportunity he had created for himself. "Look," he sighed for effect, "you probably lost your chit on the way over. I'll go retrace your steps and see if I can find it." Standing close to the bed, Johnathan retrieved the chit and slipped it into his pocket. Unbeknownst to him, Tali saw what he'd done but remained silent. "Where was the last place you remember having it?"

"*shhhck* *shhhck*" the Volus looked confused, at least Shepard thought he looked confused. Hell, Volus body language was harder to read than Quarians, which wasn't saying much. "The last time I had it was when I left the Sirta Foundation store. *shhhck*" Shepard sighed and crossed his arms, "... And you're sure you didn't leave your chit there?"

"*shhhck* Of course not! You'd think I'd make a mistake like that? *shhhck* I didn't even buy anything there. That chit stayed in my pocket."

"Master-" looking to Liara, she waved her hand and sighed, "Go... And here, take this." John looked at the small badge, "What is it?"

"It's a pass that'll let others know you're on assignment for your master" pinning it to his chest, "It should keep C-sec or others from harassing you... Don't lose it," John smirked, "I won't." he noticed the seriousness that flooded her body, "Seriously Johnathan, don't lose it. If you do, you'll be subject to punishment just like any other slave."

"Okay..." he replied, questioning what that meant. "I'll be back soon."

"Don't dawdle," Tali called after him, "Dawdling slaves tend to get whipped."

"Right... I'll... I'll keep that in mind."

Leaving the clinic, John looked around to get his bearings before strolling off to find a directory kiosk. Fingers clacking away at the qwerty keyboard, he found the location of the Sirta Foundation store. Ignoring the few odd looks he got from aliens, he memorized the route and shut the terminal down. Pausing for a moment to glance around, he reactivated the terminal and searched for a way to dock 94.

The terminal told him he would have to take a transport and offered to call one for him. With a tiny amount of hesitation, Shepard pressed the confirm key and took a deep breath. He was so close to freedom that he could taste it on his tongue. On the screen a countdown timer displayed; alerting him to when the automated transport would arrive. Slowly walking over to where the terminal had directed him, he pulled the Volus's credit chit from his pocket and eyed the balance.

Johnathan gulped as he saw all those zeroes. In his hands was more money than he had ever had in his life. One hundred thousand credits. That was more than his family would pull in come harvest. Surely this would be more than enough coin to pay his way home. The Silver Typhon, he clicked his tongue.

Shepard heard a commotion to his left and saw a Turian manhandling a teal suited female Quarian. Chivalrous nature taking over, he rushed to the girl's aid. Gripping the Turians arm he soothed, "easy friend, there's no need for such zeal," forced to let go of the girl, the molester turned his ire on the impudent human. "What slave dares lay hands on a citizen?"

"A slave who doesn't think highly of cowardly men assaulting women." Shepard saw the girls massaging her shoulder, "Miss, are you alright?" if she had given reply, John would not be able to hear it as the Turian took his lapse to strike. Head dazed by the sudden assault, Shepard's breath left his lungs as clawed hands grasped his throat.

Instead of fleeing, Shepard found his faith in the kindness of others restored as the girl called on the Turian to stop or face the wrath of C-Sec. For her troubles, she received a backhand to her helmet that sent her flying backwards. "Such a pitiful species humans are. Can't even speak," glaring at the Quarian, "Don't even think about coming here again, suit-rat," as the human's eyes rolled upwards, the Turian memorized the name on the slave's collar and hurled him across the walkway. "I'll let your master deal with you, primate."

Shepard had but a moment to regain his breath before his body impacted a metal dividing wall and he passed out. When consciousness returned, he found a teal face-mask looking over him. "Keelah, thank the ancestors you're awake. Are you alright human?" groaning, John felt wetness on the nape of his neck. "I believe so," he coughed, "are you alright?" she was taken back by his concern, "y-yes; I'm... I'll be fine."

"It would be most troublesome if I found out my gallantry had failed, and you were injured," massaging the back of his head, John pulled his hand away and saw that there was blood. Wincing, he applied pressure to stop the bleeding. "You need a doctor, "the Quarian said alarmed when he chuckled at that. "Needn't worry, I've had worse."

"Worse?" ignoring her concern, he asked her how long he had been out. "Not long, only a few minutes," glancing over to the transit station, John could see the transport waiting for him. A few seconds later someone else jumped into it and took off. "Seems I missed my ride." Looking where he was, she apologized but he kindly dismissed it, "It's okay, there'll be another one."

"Let me page you another one," she activated her omni and called for another transport. "You shouldn't have intervened, now I fear your master will beat you," it wasn't so much a question as a statement of fact. "If my Master found out I didn't come to your aid, then I would receive a harsher beating," her eyes had that same questioning look as before. Sitting up, Shepard held out his hand, "Johnathan Tiberius Shepard," taking the offered appendage, she replied with a sweet innocence, "Lia'Vael nar Ulnay."

"Well, Lia'Vael, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," releasing her hand, he nodded his head over to what looked like food court. "Why did that Turian have a stick up his ass?" Lia pipped up, "oh, just the usual xenophobic harassment."

"Is harassing your species that common?"

"Not as much as there used to be, "there was a pause and he noticed her wringing her hands, "It's been on the decline ever since Humanity stepped onto the stage. What with the war and all."

"Ah..." another pause permeated the space between them, "So what brings you to the Citadel?" taking a seat beside him, Lia hums, "Pilgrimage, I thought there would be salvage work for me here, what with all the ships; but it isn't going so well... You?"

"Slave ship." Lia snorted and they both shared a laugh. Shepard quirked an eyebrow, "Pilgrimage huh, is that like a religious thing?" Lia gently shook her head and gave a brief explanation of what it meant. "So, it's a rite of passage?" Lia nodded and Shepard sighed, "You're saving up to buy a ship?"

"I saw some very nice models, but at the moment they're out of my price range," her omni beeped, "Your rides here. I'm sure your Master wouldn't want me keeping you." John looked over and saw the transport. He was about to give thanks but was cut off by the sound of gunfire. Bolting to his feet he quickly found its source as people fled from the Free Clinic.

Through one of the clinics windows, John could see a Batarian shoving the muzzle of his gun into Liara's face as one of his fellow squints fired into the air again. "We got to get out of here!" Lia shouted and tugged on his sleeve, but he remained static. Shepard's blue eyes locked onto Liara's terrified body as she was shoved.

Johnathan's heart pounded as anger welled up inside him. Time seemed to slow as his eyes cast leftwards to the transport, then rightwards to the clinic. His hands balled into fists at the decision he now faced. If he ran to the transport, he would most likely escape. But if he did he would resign Liara to her fate. If he ran to her, he knew he'd never get a chance to see home again.

Left

Or

Right

"Shepard, we need to leave!" looking down at the frightened Quarian, he took a deep breath.

Left

or

Right

Looking to the transport and then to the Clinic, adrenaline coursed through his veins.

Left

or

Right

"A Shepard always repays his debts." An image of his father flashed before him and repeated those words.

Fishing his hands into his pocket, Johnathan grabbed the Credit-chit and key to his slave collar. "Take this and call C-sec," he gave Lia a kind smile, "You'll need it more than me." Lia looked stunned at the chit in her hands. Placing the key against his collar, Shepard felt a small shock as the device short circuited and fell from his neck. "What are you doing?" Lia nervously asked.

"Making a choice." _I'm sorry Hellcat_

With a thunderous clap of dark energy, the human vanished before her very eyes. Looking towards the sound of gunfire, Lia'Vael watched the human re-materialize inside the clinic...

The irises of his eyes flickered a dark electric red, unnoticed by anyone

And then all hell broke loose.


	8. Chapter 8: Fallout

**A/N: **My Apologies I tried to get this story similar to the canon timeline, but I just kept coming up with problems.

Also Shepard's clothes picked up are standard colonist clothes you see in the games

_Italics_ indicate internal thought.

Please comment and review

* * *

**Fallout**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters. Cronos Station.**

**Date: June 28th, 2180**

**Time: 1200 CST**

Admiral Mikhailovich stood in the large waiting room of Cronos station and looked out of the picture window, enjoying the view it provided. From his vantage point atop the station, he could see pinpricks of light from thousands of vessels playing hide and seek with the nebula that sheltered them. Most prominent among those vessels were the sizeable carriers; their massive hulls were home to hundreds of thousands of humans, ones that had escaped or been rescued from their repulsive alien masters or even those from the human territories who had come to stand alongside them.

Mikhailovich mentally sighed at how long this fight had already taken.

_June 28th, 2180. Today marks 22nd anniversary of humanities resistance. Twenty-two years ago today, the founding fathers and mothers of Cerberus disregarded their orders to lay down their arms and surrender. Disregarded the unjust and unlawful order for humanity to bow its head in shame and submit to alien oppressors. Twenty-two years ago today, the fires of rebellion were ignited in the hearts of all true patriots. For our actions, we were charged with treason of the highest order and branded as traitors. But our act of defiance fanned the flames of freedom throughout the Alliance, rallying thousands to our cause._

Mikhailovich watched the mesmerizing ballet of man and metal outside as supply ships manoeuvred to dock with Cronos. Off in the distance, he could just make out the ethereal blue glow of Minuteman station's massive ion engine; its gentle curvature more akin to a work of art than weapon of war.

_It has been 8030 days since the alien occupation of Earth and all her colonies began. Eight-thousand and thirty days that the children of Earth have had to suffer the morally reprehensible and undignified barbaric yoke of slavery. Eight-thousand and thirty days... Today is Mars day. Somehow it seems appropriate to honour the god of war, on a day when it feels like perpetual war is the only realistic prospect for us. Our insurgency has been striking back against the Hierarchy and the Hegemony whenever and wherever possible... Although at times these attacks seem like futile gestures, I believe that they are critical to moral. To maintaining some measure of hope..._

Mikhailovich looked to Minuteman once more and saw a dozen or so Dreadnoughts and Carriers at anchor; their kilometre-long hulls branching from the station's spine like budding cherry blossoms. Squinting , he could just make out Minuteman's escort complement of Heavy Cruisers and Destroyers.

Hearing the door beep to his right, he turned and saw his fellow Admirals Lindholm and Singh, he nodded in greeting to them before accompanying them to the elevator at the back of the room. He could feel his nerves building as they ascended, he freely admitted even being in proximity to this man made him very uneasy.

When the elevator doors opened, they saw a man in a chair facing away from them. His hands were moving swiftly across a large number of screens, he momentarily paused to glance over his shoulder. Seeing them he lowered both his hands and then quickly took a drag from a cigarette held between his right index and middle fingers.

"EDI mute all alerts unless highest priority," the man calmly said to the hologram next to him.

The hologram was transparent and entirely luminescent blue in colour. It had the form of an attractive young woman, it could almost pass for human in terms of physical appearance except for the matter of her hair looking like a single unit instead of multiple strands. Many would assume that this was just a VI, common throughout the galaxy. However, in truth this was a fully sentient AI, illegal across Citadel space.

"Yes sir," EDI responded

The man activated a button on his omni-tool and his chair rotated to face them. From his appearance he looked to be in his late fifties to early sixties. He had dark brown greying hair that was swept back, and he wore a Giuli Vorn suit. However, it was his eyes that disturbed Mikhailovich the most, they were a dull grey colour like the light had gone out in them, yet they were unnaturally cold and calculating.

Mikhailovich and his colleagues hated the fact that truthfully, they didn't know anything about this man. When they were running from the forces of the Citadel this man had come to them and had successfully been able to hide them, when they had asked his name he simply stated that they could call him the Illusive man.

As frustrated as they were with their lack of information on him, Mikhailovich had to admit that Cerberus was only in as strong a position as it was because of the technology that the Illusive man had provided them, he had also given them locations of unknown systems rich in resources, resources they had been using to rebuild. He knew that they weren't strong enough to fight the Citadel head on yet, but Cerberus's scientists had some theoretical ideas in the works that would provide edge they needed.

He had also been able to establish minor contact with the Alliance for them, Mikhailovich knew that there were still some veterans with high positions in the Alliance military who despite condemning them as terrorists to save face, would fight along side them to free humanity when the time was right.

However, the Hierarchy was putting in a lot of effort into putting their human puppets in positions of power to consolidate their control over humanity.

This was one of the reasons the Illusive man was not content to wait patiently for Cerberus to build up its forces and was eager to remind humanities enemies of the threat Cerberus posed. Hence the reason for this meeting.

"Admirals Mikhailovich, Lindholm, Singh... what a welcome surprise," the Illusive man extended a hand towards his fully stocked bar, "Care for a drink?"

"You are going to hit the Citadel marketplace!" shouted Lindholm. Taking a deep breath, the Illusive man sighed, "A simple no would have sufficed."

"The marketplace," restated Lindholm, "Full of civilians... women and children... our moles in the Alliance are in agreement. It's high time we figured out just who's side we're on."

Admiral Singh spoke up, "I don't care that it's effective, I don't care that they can't stop it... It's wrong. No more suicide bombings, you understand," it wasn't a question.

His eyes bore into the admirals. The desperateness of their rebellion had threatened to divide their forces in the past. On more than one occasion, they had been split over the moral ambiguity of actions authorized. They knew that as the rules of war fell by the wayside, the ends would always justify the means; often with catastrophic results.

The Illusive Man stood, fire filling his lungs. "What are you working for the Turians now?" Singh slapped him across the face, her normally stoic voice trembled slightly. "We are talking about people blowing themselves up."

Sitting back down, he lit another cigarette, took a deep drag and exhaled with a small dark chuckle. "You know, sometimes I think you've got ice water in those veins; and other times I think you're just a naive little school girl... I've sent men on suicide missions in two wars now and let me tell you something. It doesn't make a god damn lick of difference whether they're piloting a Trident or walking onto a parade ground with an explosive belt around their waist. In the end they're just as dead," taking another long drag, "so take your piety and your high-minded principles and stick them someplace safe until we're standing on Earth again... ... Cerberus has a war to fight."

* * *

**000**

* * *

_He quickly surveyed the clinic, there were five Batarians in total, wearing simple merc armour, two armed with pistols the other three armed with assault rifles. The first was standing six feet from him, pointing his pistol at the head of a terrified kneeling Salarian, with his finger slowly curling around the trigger._

_He didn't hesitate, he quickly rushed to the attacker, grabbed the wrist holding the gun and shoved it upwards, the gun went off, the shot going a few inches over the Salarian's head. He couldn't tell what the Batarians expression was behind the helmet, but he assumed he was too surprised to react. Not wanting to give up his advantage and with his grip on the Batarian still strong he channelled biotic energy into his other fist and smashed it into the Batarian's elbow. A sickening crack filled the clinic, which was soon followed by a howl of pain. The Batarian released the pistol from his now broken arm, and with inhuman reactions he grabbed it in mid-air, pointing it at the attacker's face and fired three rapids shots. The first two shots drained the kinetic barriers and the third went right through the cheap helmet and the Batarian's head._

_He looked up, the other Batarians were staring at him in shock, attracted by the screams of their comrade. He knew he didn't have long before they fired, he withdrew the scalpel, holding it in his left hand and activated a biotic charge, propelling himself towards a pair of the attackers as the spot he previously occupied was bombarded with shots._

_He smashed into the Batarian on the right sending him smashing into the nearby wall leaving a decent size crater in it. He appeared just behind the other Batarian's left shoulder. The Batarian began twisting to the left while raising his gun and yelling what he assumed were profanities, in a deadly display of skill he gripped the scalpel and sliced across the Batarian's throat, which was unprotected by the plates of the armour. The Batarian dropped his gun and fell to his knees as he began to choke on his own blood before going limp and falling to the floor._

_The attacker he had previously hit with his biotic charge began to push himself onto his knees, he raised his head, just in time for three shots to be fired through it._

_He heard more yelling and turned around to see the remaining two Batarians readjust their aim to him. He quickly erected a biotic barrier around himself and ran in the direction of a nearby table which he quickly upturned to use as a makeshift barricade. Some of the shots penetrated through the table but were unable to penetrate his biotic barrier, he endured the onslaught, until he heard the familiar sound of heatsinks being ejected. He stood up from behind the table and opened fire on one of the Batarians, quickly depleting his kinetic barrier and then nailing him in the abdomen and the right shoulder. As the Batarian went down he heard a hiss and saw the heatsink from his own pistol ejected._

_He heard a high-pitched feminine scream and turned his head to see the remaining Batarian roughly grabbing a familiar Asari by the neck. Possibly to use as a hostage, he didn't know, and it wasn't his concern. Looking at his pistol an idea quickly formed in his mind, he threw it and with great accuracy struck the Batarian on the side of his head forcing him backwards, he quickly charged forward flipping the scalpel into a reverse grip and stabbed it into the side of the Batarian's neck. The now injured Batarian screamed in pain and tried to reach the scalpel, but he acted too fast and punched the protruding end of the scalpel driving it into the attackers neck all the way up to the handle. The final Batarian fell over dead._

_He proceeded towards the Asari before hearing shouting from behind him, he turned around…_

_And darkness consumed him again._

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Bachjret ward. T'Soni apartment.**

**Date: June 28th, 2180**

**Time: 1200 CST**

Gasping himself awake, Shepard fell on the ground and groaned; everything hurt. A feminine dual-tone purr called out to him, he groaned again and trained his eyes on the approaching footsteps. They stopped close to his head and he looked up to see a purple suited alien standing over him. "Are we awake?" she asked with a slight giggle.

"We're not sure," he said a bit lost for words, "Are we... Quarian?"

"Yes, we are," her masks mouth light flashed with every word spoken. Shepard slowly blinked as his mind played catch up. Fuzzy memories played behind his eyes. "Then we're awake... but we're very confused... I think I better straighten myself out."

He couldn't tell whether or not she was smiling behind that mask, but he took her body language to mean she was amused. Taking a deep breath, he willed his body upright, but his efforts were instantaneously met with unparalleled resistance. Gasping as his backside landed flat on the floor, Shepard panted and grunted as he tried in vain to get up. Clutching his chest, it felt like he was battling an unseen adversary for every breath. Tali watched the human flail and hesitated to render assistance. She was not very versed in human physiology, let alone one who's recovering from a gunshot wound, and she didn't know what to do.

However, when she saw the white bandage on his chest develop tiny red spots, she knew she had to act. "Need any help?" not waiting for his reply, she moved in to support his body with her own. "Oh, only all I can get," Shepard meekly said with a forced smile as his eyes began to water.

She helped him right himself and he heaved a sigh of relief. With the pressure on his chest gone, his breath was now coming much easier and he relaxed back onto the couch. "You're Tali'Zorah nar Rayya... Right; Liara's roommate?" she nodded, "I take it this is Liara's apartment then?"

"Welcome to our humble abode, human."

Questions formulated in the back of Shepard's mind and within moments they were falling from his lips with a speed that would put a Salarian to shame. "Whoa, whoa, slow down." she tried to placate him as she noticed the spike of his heart rate monitor. "Calm down, human, or else you'll end back up in hospital!"

Shepard's mouth hung slightly open as he fell silent. In his haste and confusion, he'd failed to process several things that seemed glaringly obvious now. First and foremost was the bandage on his chest. Peeling it back, he saw a surgical incision next to what is unmistakably a bullet wound. "I wouldn't touch it, human," but he ignored her and poked it with his finger.

A memory flashed. He's standing next to Liara; seeing if she's okay. A badly beaten and bleeding Batarian staggered to his feet; gun in hand. He cursed him and fired. He shielded Liara's body with his own and took the hit. It's fuzzy, but he remembers looking up into Liara's eyes as he bleeds to death in her arms.

"Liara!"

"She's fine. Little bruised and shaken, but fine," Tali replied and saw him relax. "She's out picking up your things, actually... speaking of which, I promise I'd send her a message if you woke," her arm glows orange and Shepard watched her type up a quick message and send it off. "My things?" he asked. Tali hums, "a lot has happened while you were out."

"While I was out?"

"You've been unconscious for two days."

Shepard practically shouted, "two days!?" his pulse rose, and the pressure returned to his chest. Doubling over as he was sent into a coughing fit, he felt a soothing hand massage his back. "There there, human. Best not get too worked up until that wound heals," when his coughing died down, she asked if he's okay and he nodded. "You must be thirsty. Let me go get you some water."

"T-t-thank you," John somehow managed to get out between coughs. His eyes followed her movements.

Tali snickered and sat down next to him, "Liara was worried that you went going to pull through human." Shepard took the offered glass and downed a hardy swig. Spreading the wetness around his mouth and chapped lips, he sighed. "John."

"Pardon?"

"My name. It isn't, human. It's, John... Or, if you'd like, Johnny, or Johnathan, or even Shepard," finishing half the glass with another two gulps, John placed it on the coffee table. "Hell, even been known to go by, Tiber."

"Tiber?"

"It's a nickname my brothers and sisters gave me," a smile spread across John's lips at the pleasant memory. "When they were little, they had problems pronouncing their J's and S's. So they called me, Tiber. It's a shortened version of Tiberius; my middle name."

"That's a wonderful story, John; truly it is... but, as your mistress, I can call you whatever I want."

John choked in surprise and deadpanned, "What now?"

"As I said, a lot has happened." Tali nonchalantly shrugged and reclined back, "You're lucky to still be alive, actually. Hegemony doesn't take kindly to slaves killing their citizens... fear it might inspire others to revolt." If her laid back attitude was meant to be reassuring it failed spectacularly. "And I don't like having my pilgrimage sent back to square one either."

Shepard let the weight of her statement linger before he asked the obvious, "Then why; how am I still alive?"

"Article 26 sec 3 of the penal code; Defense of a third party or something... That, along with Laira's mother pulling a few strings, and a particularly by the book C-Sec Captain, saved your life." Finding the vidscreen remote, she searched for something to watch. "Honestly, with the moves you pulled. I'm surprised you were caught in the first place."

"Moves...?" _That felt just like my last memory of Mindoir_. He went silent for a moment before asking what the Captains name was. He watched her tilt her mask and place a finger under her chin in thought. "Hmmm... If I recall correctly, I think his name was Vakarian. Castis Vakarian... You know him?"

"No, but it sounds familiar. I can't put my finger on it; just sounds familiar." He massaged his brow and let out a weary sigh, "must be imagining things." Taking another sip from his glass, John addressed the elephant in the room. "So... You're my new master?"

"Co-Master." Tali replied with a trace of humour, "Both Laira and I had to empty our bank accounts to secure your contract... Oh! And Liara took out a small loan from her mother."

Shepard sighed despairingly at the new debts he had to repay. Honestly, it would have been easier if everyone would have just let him die. A sudden and chilling shiver ran down his spine. Warming himself with his arms, John saw the quilted comforter draped over the armrest near Tali and asked. "Do you mind? I mean, is it okay?" she suppressed a giggle, finding his uncertainty oddly endearing and unfurled the large blanket.

"Here you go."

"Thank you." Pulling himself under the covers he noticed Tali had soon joined him. Guess they can feel cold inside that suit. Glancing at the vidscreen, he saw a trio of professional looking competitors dispatching holographic enemies. _Doesn't look like a war film. Must be some type of combat sporting event._ Going with the flow and waiting for Laira to return, about ten minutes passed before he had to ask. "Just curious, but how much did I cost?"

"Oh, not much... 10 million."

Johnathan blinked, wondering if he heard her correctly. "10-"

"Million, yes," Tali smiled beneath her mask, "Liara's mother payed the bulk of it though. Guess she's trying to buy her daughters love," she stifled a laugh at his expression. "What? You don't have doting mothers where you come from?... Besides, Laira's too old for a pony."

Shepard massaged his forehead in shock, "I need to lie down." even at peak yield, his family only ever raked in some hundred thousand credits come harvest time. Which sounded like a lot before you deducted expenses and payed off any debts. If times were good, they could expect to pocket maybe seventy or eighty thousand. And, as Mindoir had 3 harvest seasons, with proper soil management, his family could clear just north of two-hundred thousand credits a year.

For Shepard's family to help, as he had feared, they would have to cash in their nest egg and sell the farm. Throw away everything they spent their lives building. John could not and would not ask them to do that. It was unreasonable. This was his mess and one way or another he would clean it up.

Seeing her slave lost in thought, Tali scooted closer and caressed his arm with her hand. The sudden contact broke him from his trance and he scooted back as far as he could. Locking his eyes on hers he calmly asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

Mirroring his movements until they ran out of couch, Tali softly hummed, "Never been this close to a human before. I wanted to want to see what all the fuss is about," pressing down onto him, Tali ran her hands over his broad muscular chest but was careful to avoid his wound. A throaty purr was lulled from her body as she felt his warmth bleed through her suit.

"What does that mean?" Johnathan swallowed a nervous gulp

"Don't worry, I don't bite."

"Uhhhmmm? Still haven't answered my question!" The pressure in his chest was back and he forced himself to take slow deliberate breaths. But soon the weight was too much, and he shifted her to the side. Tali took the opening in her stride and shuffled so that she was nestled comfortably between the back of the couch and his body; using him as a pillow.

"Keelah, you're so warm!" the merry way she said it made it sound like she had expected him to be cold.

Tali was lost in her happy little world. Given her species micro-gravity, nomadic and nutrient poor lifestyle, developing muscle mass was a challenge. As a result, Quarian's tended to be shorter and wirier than their human analogues. Consequently, having significant muscle mass was considered a desirable and attractive trait.

"So warm... So soft. Keelah! And so firm." Tali's purred as she traced his abs with her fingers.

"So. Uhmm. When exactly will Liara be back?"

"Maybe an hour. Maybe less," came her lackadaisical reply. "Besides, I can think of a few ways to kill time."

"Didn't know I was your type," he didn't like her raspy chuckle, and her next statement cemented his concerns. "Type? Who said anything about type? You're my property, Shepard." Tali brought her face-mask up to look directly into his wonderful blue eyes. "And I will do with my property, whatever I wish."

Shepard started coughing again as the weight on his chest returned and his pulse pounded in his ears. Tali let out a disappointed sigh and retreated. "Guess I'll have to wait until you've fully recovered," tenderly stroking his chest she huskily whispered, "Get well soon."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel Docks, Hegemony slave ship.**

**Time: 1210 CST**

"All right, here we are ladies... Box number 00655321." Balak said with a masked sneer and dis-genuine pleasantry as he all but slammed the small crate onto the table. Punching his access code into the electromagnetic lock, the Batarian molested the Matriarchs display of azure cleavage with his eyes. His mouth all but drooled at the sight of the mother and daughter pair; cementing in his mind the belief that the race was good for nothing but whoring. "By the way: How's the mongrel? Shot through the heart?" Balak tsk'd, "nasty business. though, no less than what it deserved... Uppity Suboids. Whole species should be sterilized like the Krogan."

Liara held her tongue tight and glared at him dispassionately. To her surprise, her mother spoke up. "That's a rather dubious statement. Were humanity sterilized, you would find yourself seeking new employment," Benezia calmly replied, her tone laced with hidden condemnation. "Move with haste slave catcher, my daughter and I have business to attend to."

Balak ground his teeth and passively glared; he detested being talked down to by anybody. "Aye, we'll get moving." Liara was surprised he didn't toss in some lowbrow insult. "Personal affects of slave 00655321. Taken at time of procurement, ready for your inspection." As he opened the crate and began placing items on the table.

"One pair of boxers; red, slightly faded. One pair of dark brown work boots; size twelve, worn. One pair of black combat trousers; size thirty-two, worn. One dark grey t-shirt, worn. One orange sleeveless jacket, worn. One size 40 brown leather belt with brass buckle." as Balak spoke, the crew-mate next to him repeated his words aloud and checked off the items on his data-pad.

"One brown leather gun belt with six thermal clips and holstered sidearm; M-5 Phalanx, serial number 0188654." Balak looked to the Asari and gave them an insincere toothy grin, "Best sell this or keep it in a safe. Less of course you don't mind primates taking advantage of you at gunpoint..."

Benezia crossed her arms and Laira could tell her patience was waning, "thank you for your concern, but matters are well in hand, move along."

"Your funeral." Balak shrugged and went back work, "One Alliance Marine Corps combat knife with scabbard... One five-inch knife with scabbard. One leather-man multi tool-" Benezia could tell this disgusting fool was dragging matters out and could no longer stand it, "yes yes, I trust that all his affects are there. Now pack them back up and tell me where to sign."

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but rules are rules."

"Something tells me you treat them more like guidelines." Benezia's hand shimmered blue and all of Shepard's affects floated neatly back into the box. Extending her hand, she waited expectantly for the data-pad. Balak motioned for his colleague to proceed and Liara signed her name, completing the transfer. Adding his company's notary to the electronic document, Balak sighed. "We thank you for your patronage and hope to see you again."

Liara hoped for quite the opposite and forced a bow. Collecting Shepard's box, Shiala, her mother, and herself departed for home. As they entered the skycar, she heard her mother quietly giggle. "Littlewing?"

"Yes mother?"

"I do believe a shopping trip is in order."

Liara's eyes lit up with curiosity, "You do?"

"Indeed." Benezia smiled softly and lovingly caressed her daughter's hand, "Come, let us purchase your slave some attire that is more... suitable for an environment such as the Citadel."

"Yes." Liara giggled, "He would look out of place; wouldn't he?"

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel Docks, Hegemony slave ship.**

**Time: 1600 CST**

Anto was walking up the ramp to his ship, Bray and Balak on either side on him.

"So, we finally got the new parts installed? He asked in a frustrated tone. "they better be worth the price we had to pay for 'em."

"Yeah boss, they finished the retrofits on hour ago. According to the chief engineer the ship should be operating a lot more efficiently, it gonna save us a fortunate on fuel." Bray responded.

"Good. You know as well as I do that time is money in this business and we've wasted too much getting this useless pile of junk more space worthy," he said gesturing to the ship.

"Ka'hairal Balak?" a voice called from behind them.

All three of them turned around and Anto's eyes widened slightly as he saw a Batarian wearing an expensive suit and with a badge supporting the official seal of the Hegemony pinned to his chest. Anto knew that these were the people who spoke on behalf of the Hegemony's elite upper castes.

Before he could react Balak had stepped forward and responded with a calm "Yes?"

The official stepped up to Balak and calmly continued, "Your skill in combat has attracted the attention of a very important person, they believe that you could serve the Hegemony in a much greater capacity then your current employment," he caste a scathing glare at Anto.

Anto wanted to shoot this self-entitled piece of shit, but he knew that attacking them would not only result in his own painful execution, but possibly his entire family being reduced to the lower castes of the Hegemony, if whoever this messenger worked for was powerful enough.

"If you are interested, they would like you to meet them at this address," he activated his omni-tool sending the information to Balak's. "This is a very unique opportunity with a small window Mr Balak," he continued with a stern tone.

"I'll be there as soon a I clear out my stuff," Balak responded quickly

The messenger gave a smile, "splendid, I am sure that they will be thrilled." He quickly turned around and left.

Anto looked at Balak and asked in a voice that barley disguised how uneasy he was by this turn of event, "Your leaving Balak?"

Balak didn't even bother to look at him as he responded with a simple "Yes"

This was unusual as usually Balak would always call Anto sir or captain, even though Anto knew it was forced it felt strange to see Balak talk to him so casually.

He gave out a nervous chuckle, "Well, best of luck to you Balak, and may I never have to lay eyes on your worthless hide aga-"

He was interrupted as a biotically charged fist collided with the side of his face sending him slamming into the side of the ship's hallway. He heard Bray yell out as Balak sent him flying with a biotic shockwave.

He then saw Balak approach him, then he was gasping for air as Balak's hand gripped his throat. He mentally shuddered as he saw the sadistic grin that looked like it would split Balak's face in half.

"Oh, we will see each other again Korragan, and you will hate every moment of it." He said in a slow, confident voice, before releasing Anto and walking off.


	9. Chapter 9: New Normal

**A/N: **_Italics_ indicate internal thought.

Please comment and review

**New Normal**

**Location: Citadel, Lower wards**

**Date: August 20th, 2180**

**Time: 2200 CST**

Resting against a wall, dressed in a dapper black suit, Nihlus Kryik's reconnoitred the seedy thoroughfare with little regard as he waited for his partner to arrive. Truthfully, he didn't see the need for another agent's help. As mission standards go, rescuing a kidnapped girl was rather low priority. Sure, damsels in distress were bread and butter for Council Spectre's, but still, small fry assignments like these were best left in C-sec's hands; incompetent though they may sometimes be, but their hands none the less.

A horn sounded several times, each louder than the last as it neared, beckoning the street urchins to part and make way. A Large skybus stopped outside one of the warehouses on the street, the door of the warehouse opened and an assortment of Batarians and Turians walked out, directing a small group of human slaves wearing shock collars. Nihlus watched as they were forced to unload crates from the skybus, and as one was hit with a Varren prod and started convulsing on the ground.

_That poor bastard_, he thought to himself as his fingers lackadaisically fiddled with his box of dedaria nuts. Skewering a few of the crunchy delights with his talon's, his razor-sharp teeth made quick work slicing open the hard-outer shells.

Every fibre of his being wanted to gun down every piece of scum standing there, but that would complicate his mission. In addition, sites like that were not uncommon in this part of the Citadel.

He turned his head slightly to see one of the piss holes that called themselves night clubs and saw female human slaves forced to serve drinks to the disgusting patrons. He clenched his fists as he caught a glance of a young woman dragged by a Kogan into an alleyway, whimpering. He was bought out of these thoughts as he heard the roars coming from the infamous fighting pit a couple of blocks away.

A lot of Citadel space like to pretend that slavery wasn't the atrocity humans said it was, but here, they were brutally honest about it.

"I see you decided to grab a snack," commented a honeyed voice to his side.

"You were running late; I got hungry," Nihlus cast a sideways glance at the Asari and threw the box into a refuse bin. "Nice outfit by the way; very stylish, must have cost a fortune," dusting off his hands, "be a shame if it got ruined."

"You're one to talk," she replied with a demure smile and stood on her toes to kiss him. Breaking from the embrace after some time, he hooked his arm and the Asari snaked hers through his.

"How's the shoulder?" he asked as they set off, "Sure you're up for this, Vasir?"

"I'm up for anything, Kryik," she mused with a hinting tone and rested her head on his arm.

"That so... What happened to you and that waitress?" He noticed her posture stiffen.

"It didn't work out."

"Shame, I rather liked her."

"Everyone liked her, and she liked everyone, that was the problem," her facial tattoo's glimmered faintly with biotic energy.

"What happened?"

"Caught her in bed with three Krogan," he chuckled, and she swatted his arm. "It isn't funny."

A few minutes later they turned off the main road and into winding corridors typically used by keepers and duct rats. Approaching a grime covered door at the end of a long corridor, Nihlus kept his mind his own while Vasir hummed and ran her fingers over a poster advertising a nearby whore house.

"Keepers haven't been here in a while."

"How can you tell?" he asked, a tad curious.

"Bugs don't like it when things are put on their pretty walls... They find it offensive."

Shrugging, Nihlus rapt his fist against the hatch three times and it slid open to reveal a brown crested Krogan in poorly kept attire. The beast had a brooding, pensive look upon his weathered face. Without asking who they were, he gruffly barked, "follow me," and beckoned them inside. Acquiescing, they trailed their escort into the anteroom. Stepping over a puddle of radiant green ooze, Nihlus trilled sardonically, "love what you've done with the place... dilapidated dungeon is very cosmopolitan."

The Krogan let out a single huff, a mixture of disinterest and melancholy. Letting his sophomoric bravado fall by the wayside, Nihlus dipped to avoid headbutting a low hanging pipe. Almost as an afterthought their chaperon muttered, "watch your step," as he rounded the corner and disappeared down a darkened flight of stairs. From the dark abyss, the Spectre's heard muffled screams and faint whir of power tools. They gave each other a momentary pensive look and descended.

Emerging into a hallway lined with heavy metal doors, Tela took note of the myriad spatters of blood and covered her nose, earning a suspicious gaze from their Krogan. "You are aware of the extremity?" he asked.

"Yes." replied Nihlus, firmly.

Not dissuaded, their charge continued, "I mean…we butcher 'em."

Nihlus trilled perplexed at the Krogan's inquiry. "I believe, that's what I'm paying for," he said, matter of factually, and pulled out his credit chit. When the transfer went through, the Krogan gave a toothy smile and nodded towards the door at the end of the hall. "I hope you have a memorable evening, Sir," he gently clasped the man on the shoulder and sighed, "I'm sure of it."

Taking their seats, the Spectre's quickly examined their surroundings and gave the other patrons tertiary glances. Besides the two of them, there were ten other individuals: five Batarians, two Turians, a Hanar, a Volus, and one Raloi. All male and all fashionably dressed as if they were attending a swanky soiree on the presidium. It made Nihlus sick to his stomach, but thankfully he didn't recognize any celebrities or political figures and took comfort in the knowledge that there wouldn't be any fallout when he made these men disappear.

A few moments later, a hatch squeaked open, pulling the Spectres from their thoughts, and they watched a human in executioner's garb wheel in a metal rack encumbered with torture implements of the most heinous kind. More sickening was the delighted and approving hum's and murmurs from the crowd. They only grew more profound when the executioner returned, dragging a naked human female by the back of her neck. She whimpered as she was tossed to the ground.

When the executioner ripped the burlap sack off her head, the blonde-haired girl spat in her torture's face, earning herself a heavy backhanded slap. _Spirited little thing_, Nihlus mused to himself and tightened his grip on Tela's hand, silently asking if this girl was their asset. When she traced an O on his palm, he steeled himself for combat.

The executioner's fingers glided over the stack of whips and blades as he decided which to use first. Under his hood, a grin spread across his lips as his eyes fell upon a large club. Gripping it between his hands, he slapped his palm with the head and chuckled darkly. Returning to his collapsed quarry, he traced the head along her unmarred back, a perfectly clean canvass that had endless possibilities.

He really did enjoy this part, the mounting anticipation, the glorious moment before the first strike fell. How loud would she scream? How desperate would she beg? How bloody would she get before breaking? God, he loved his work.

The tension grew, and the patron's emotions tied themselves to his every move. They were bonded now in this moment, and as his hand rose to fell the first blow, the crowd sucked in their breath.

Rising to his feet and stunning the executioner, the spring-loaded pistols hidden up Nihlus's sleeves sprang into his palms, and in one smooth action he took aim at the human's temple. There was a small loud pop! and the humans head jerked back before his body fell to the ground. The patrons, caught by surprise, were helpless to prevent what happened next.

Tables turned, Nihlus and Tela's bodies moved like water. Nihlus quickly spun round and aimed his pistols at the Turian and Batarian closest to the door, _need to take them out before they sound an alarm_ Nihlus thought. With two more shots they both fell, killed by a shot to the head.

Meanwhile Tela; daggers in hand, acrobatically danced through his field of fire, she ripped open the jugular of the nearest Batarian, before he hit the ground she twisted around with the skill of a ballet dancer and buried her other dagger in the chest of the attending Rolai.

The surviving patron all began screaming at this point. _Idiots,_ Nihlus though, _these places were built to block out screams._ He readjusted his aim and fired again at the second Turian, hitting him squarely in the chest with both shots.

Vasir swung her hands across each other slicing the throat of the Batarian standing in front of her in a scissor like action. Powering herself with her biotics she leapt up and flipped forward, at the climax of her jump she threw her arm downwards, above her head and jammed one of her knives through the eye of another Batarian, killing him instantly. She then ran towards the Hanar, ducked down and stabbed into his underbelly, the jellyfish screamed as he was practically skewered.

The Volus tried to, by his species standards anyway, run towards the door. Vasir shook the Hanar corpse off her knife and then threw it at the Volus. The knife glanced against the Volus's helmet damaging the breathing components, the portly creature immediately stopped running as he began to choke but was put out of his misery by a head shot from Nihlus. From behind the Turian spectre the surviving Batarian ran out from behind his seat towards the door, without even looking, Nihlus fired his pistol under his armpit hitting the man in his knee. Nihlus slowly walked towards him as the Batarian tried to crawl away still screaming and then fired point blank rang into the back of his head.

Their asset shook on the floor, shutting her eyes and blocking out the world with her hands as warm fluid splashed her skin.

When silence returned, she felt a clawed hand grip her shoulder and she opened her eyes. A bone chilling scream threatened to be ripped from her throat, but a blue hand slapped itself across her lips. "Sorry love, but silence is golden, understand?" she feebly nodded and swallowed her scream. "Nih, we clear?"

"Yeah, were good." glancing at the shivering naked female, Nihlus grabbed one of the dead patrons' coats. "Here, put this on." she took it from him, wrapped herself in it, and tentatively asked, "Who... who are you?" voice crackling as she did.

Nihlus grinned, "Just your friendly neighbourhood Spectres."

**000**

**Location: Citadel, Liara's Apartment**

**Date: August 20th, 2180**

**Time: 0600 CST**

More than three weeks had passed since Shepard had foiled the robbery at the free clinic, and things for the farm boy were most decidedly on the up and up. Thanks to the miracles of modern medicine, it hadn't taken long for Johnathan to recover from his wounds. Though, he thought his expeditious gains had more to do with Liara's studious care, than scientific advancement.

Still, the ordeal had left its mark on him. A parting gift if you will. In the centre of Shepard's chest, right over his heart, there would forever be a stippling of crater like scars, connected to one another by a spiderweb pattern of jagged lightning bolt cracks of marred flesh. A memento of his brush with death, and the choice he made.

His memories from the robbery were still fuzzy. John still had no fathomable idea what had happened up to the point where he was shot protecting Liara. It annoyed him no end that she wouldn't tell him, insisting that the memory would come back on its own in due course. He didn't take much comfort in that, but letters from home provided some consolation.

Aside from being purchased by Liara & Tali, and, you know, not dying, the thing that brought John the most joy was when Liara helped him re-establish contact with his family. Due to his status as a slave, real-time communication using the com-buoys was extremely difficult to get permission for and they could only communicate via pre-recorded messages, but it didn't matter. It just felt so good to see their faces, hear their voices, let them know he was alright. His family had even started sending him care packages full of clothes, food, and accoutrements from home.

Everything was settling into a nice and comfortable routine.

In the mornings, John would wake up early to cook breakfast and make his girls lunches. After seeing them off, he'd busy himself with work around the apartment; cleaning, folding laundry, practicing his biotics or reading. Liara provided him with access to the Extra-net Library, his favourite topics were reading about the history of the galaxy's species and technical journals to improve his knowledge of the galaxy's technology.

Tali would stroll in a little after lunchtime, laden with salvage, and he'd help her catalogue, clean, and repair what he could. She had been very impressed when he displayed some of the technical prowess that he had been pretty famous for back home, she was also stunned at how fast he seemed to absorb technical information and actually joked that he must be part Quarian. After a short break, she'd take off again and he was left alone to do whatever he pleased. When night rolled around, he would make dinner and listen to his girls talk about their day.

John didn't really know when he began referring to Liara and Tali as: His Girls... But it felt right, he began to see them more as sisters, and given he had grown up with four younger sisters, that was familiar territory.

He lived as a free man inside their home, not chained like a prisoner or leashed like a family pet. He ate meals with them at the table, like an equal, and was never forced to beg for scraps. He slept on their couch, not on the floor or in a cage like most other slaves. He wasn't beaten or mistreated in any manner.

Regretfully, all this normality did was reinforce the touted narrative that slavery wasn't inherently evil. That there were only bad slaves, who deserved to be punished, and bad Masters, who's wickedness was the exception and not the norm. But Johnathan knew it was all propaganda, it had to be... Right?

"Alright it's finished," Shepard said as he put down the data pad, having just recorded a message to be sent back to his family.

"Wonderful, I promise I will send it as soon as I can John, but bandwidth traffic seems to be very severe this week. I am not sure when I will be able to send it," Liara responded.

Liara inwardly cringed as she saw his face fall, she knew exchanging messages with his family was one of the things he most enjoyed, but it also constantly reminded him of how much he missed them all.

Tali came over and sat next to him, over the past few weeks she had gotten used to seeing John's small attacks of depression, but she had also learned that one of the best ways to quickly get him out of it was to listen to some of the things about his home that he missed.

"How about you tell us about your family John? I overheard some of the personal messages you were giving to each of them and they all sounded so different," she asked.

"Yes, I looked up your family name, and I had no idea that your parents were so famous. Your mother was the 'Lion of Elysium' and your father drove the Turian army from Torfan," Liara pitched in excitedly.

Shepherd glanced in her direction, "this coming from the daughter of one of Thessia's most influential matriarch's," he then looked towards Tali, "or of an Admiral of the migrant fleet."

Tali chuckled under her helmet, "fair point, but what about having six younger siblings, that's not an experience we can share."

"Neither of you have any siblings?" John asked.

"Oh, I probably have a dozen half-sisters all across the galaxy, but unless you're born within a few decades of each other it's not really that easy to form a connection," Liara replied sarcastically.

Tali was quiet for a moment before responding "My mother died when I was young."

Shepherd inwardly cringed, "sorry."

Tali immediately perked up, "it's fine, you're going to tell us about your siblings."

"Well, first is Elizabeth, we just call her Liz, she's just a year younger than me, she's got crazy agility and she's as stubborn as hell. She never changes course when she has set her mind on something. Then there's the first set of twins, Hector and Jenny, they're similar in the fact that they're only fifteen and they already want to know how to shoot a gun, they're probably the fittest apart from me and Liz as they help with most of the work on the farm. Next is Arthur and Molly, and Tali if you think I've got technological prowess, you would not believe them, they're fourteen years old and my mum thinks they might have a shot of getting scholarships at Grissom Academy when they're older. Finally, is Abigail, she's thirteen, she's got a great singing voice and says she really would like to be a doctor."

"They all sound wonderful." Liara stated smiling.

"Yeah," his tone suddenly turned more serious, "That's why I'm really worried about them growing up in a galaxy like this."

Liara gained an exasperated expression before responding, "and just what is so terrible about the way the galaxy is. Many people are able to get by in it just fine."

"Yes, in this day and age of unending Xenophobia and reckless hatred and animosity between our species." he responded sarcastically, "I know its been fine for me."

"So," Liara half sighs, "this is all about you."

"No it's not about me; well yes it's about me!" Tali giggles. "But tomorrow it will be about somebody else. We'll watch it on the news and see some new race getting enslaved." Taking her cup of tea, Liara floats theirs over to them with her biotics, "I'm going to my bedroom, I'm turning on Sinatra, I'm taking a bath."

Sighing to himself, John took a sip of tea and reached for the data-pad on the coffee table to check his inbox. After a few moments of silently wondering if there was any news, Tali asked, "Any replies?" There was despondent sigh and she knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth.

"I'm sure someone will get back to you eventually." Tali comforted. They heard the bedroom door open and turned to see Liara, in a white robe, exit and enter the guest bathroom. Moments later, Frank Sinatra began to play and the Quarian searched for something positive to say. "There's good money in salvage John, especially with skills like yours. You can always accompany me?... In fact, you are going to accompany me."

"Shouldn't we first sell all the stuff around the apartment? Like the stuff in your room? Or the stuff in the garage?" Tali waved her hand rather dismissively, "Most of it's parts, look, I have a system... Oh, that reminds me, you're coming with me to check out a skycar today. You know, for us to refurbish."

John deadpanned, "I'm doing what now?"

"A skycar," Tali restated, as if the first time wasn't clear enough. "It's an X3M model. Found it while surfing the salvage message boards the other day. Seller listed it at three thousand credits, but I'm confident I can get him down to two."

"Is that a good price?" he asked, honestly confused. Seeing Tali's head tilt, he explained, "Back home, a good price for a horse drawn wagon is around two hundred credits."

"Keelah!" Tali slowly blinked, her glowing eyes boring holes in her human slave. "Animal drawn carts. How does… How does your species survive the Attican Traverse with such primitive technology!?"

"Pretty well actually," Her mouth light lit up, but he cut her off, "of course it would be easier if the Citadel didn't place trade embargoes on the Alliance making it almost impossible to ship… well anything to our colonies." He then gained a scathing tone, "Yeah I did some research, we'd be able to move a lot more supplies to our colonies and establish them more strongly with more modern tech. Hell, if we could also increase the size of our fleets, we could protect them better." He took a deep breath to calm himself down before turning back to Tali.

"You got to remember the planets Humanity colonizes are untouched by the hand of civilization. There are no roads, no infrastructure. If something breaks, you better hope you can repair it with your Omni-tool's fabrication unit. If not, you'll have to wait weeks or even months for the next supply ship to arrive."

"I get that, but animals... Really?... Animals." stated Tali, "You have to care for them, feed them. If they're injured-"

"You put 'em down and eat 'em," John replied, a bit amused by her lack of understanding. Did Quarians not have colonies? he wondered to himself. He knew they had lost their homeworld to the Geth, but that was close to three hundred years ago, surely they had established a colony by now. "Unlike a horse, I've never seen a machine give birth to another machine."

"You should come to Rannoch," he noticed the trace of spite in her tone, "Happens there all the time."

_Red flag, Shepard! Red flag!_

Tali sat silent, sipping her tea, and he went about finishing his own. "So, is uh... Is two thousand a good price?" Tali set her cup down and activated her omni-tool, "For a burnt-out stripped-down wreck, yes."

"And how much can we re-sell it for?" there was another pause, and John thought she had decided to ignore him. "Tali?"

"Oh? Sorry... Something caught my eye," she hummed and tore her eyes away from her screen, "I won't know until I see what shape it's in, but conservatively speaking, I can maybe make eight to ten thousand in profit."

"I see," he nodded and went back to scanning the wanted ads; filling out applications for every new listing he saw, but if the past month was any indication, he wouldn't hold his breath. "That'll be a nice chunk of coin. Do you think we can pull it off?" she scoffed like he had just offended her ancestors, "Pull it off? Shepard, I'm a Quarian; give me a chunk of eezo and some scrap metal, and I'll make you a drive core."

He chuckled to himself and went back to answering ads. When he filled out his status, he checked the box marked: SLAVE. Much to his chagrin, the Citadel had excellent labour laws and boasted the highest minimum wage in the galaxy, a staggering fifty credits per hour, but only if you were a citizen.

For an unskilled slave, you were paid a fifth the minimum wage. For a semi-skilled slave, you were paid a quarter. For a skilled slave, you were paid one half. For a highly skilled slave, you were lucky and got paid three quarters the annual salary of your peers. All of this was a moot point, mind you, as you yourself weren't the one being paid, but rather your Master was.

Nonetheless, John needed to work. To pull his share around the house and pay rent. Though, for him to payback his ten million credit debt, he would either need to work multiple jobs, or get very, very creative. "When do you want to leave?" he asked, collecting their cups and putting them in the sink. "Within the hour; oh and bring your gun."

"What aren't you telling me, Tali?"

"No need to get so suspicious. I was just thinking we could go to the gun range afterword. It's been a while since I practiced with my Tempest, and I figured you wouldn't mind getting in some range time either. You still need to take the gun safety course and have the range master sign your licen- Why are you laughing?"

"Because of the absurdity of it! I can literally teach a gun safety course, hell, I bet I could even be range master."

"That may be, but you still need to do it. It's the law, Shepard."

"Fine." He discouragingly huffed, and as he went off to go collect his gun belt mused grumpily, "I swear to god if I get shot again I'm getting on the first transport back to Mindoir.

**000**

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards.**

**Date: August 20th, 2180**

**Time: 0005 CST**

After giving their asset a brief medical scan and a tranquilizer to help her rest, Nihlus keyed the transports autopilot and directed it to take them to Huerta Memorial. As the skycar began to move he made a call with his omni-tool, "Yes we rescued her, she was exactly where you said she would be." He listened to the response before continuing, "understood." He then terminated the call.

Trilling sardonically, he looked at the time and clicked his left mandible. "You know, Tela, it past my bedtime," His absurd statement from left field hit Vasir like a crate full of eezo, and as a confused look spread across her face, she glanced at him questioningly, "Want me to sing you a lullaby?" she rhetorically asked, mirth lacing her tone.

"No, no, no." He chuckled and pulled his mandibles tight, "just saying it's odd, usually if I'm up with a woman this late, were doing something far more carnal."

"Death for dinner and sex for breakfast. What a charming life we lead." The boyish glimmer in his emerald eyes sparked a knowing smile on Vasir's lips, "The nights still young, Kryik. After we drop little miss Massani off with her father, we could stop off at my place for a nightcap? I just got a bottle of Bleccieussec Cépage 45', that I'm dying to crack open. They say it pairs nicely with the bold flavor of a Cyone cigar, and I just so happen to have a box." she gave him a flirtatious look. "You know what they say about Cyone cigars?"

"Rolled on the thighs of Azure maidens." he purred at the pleasant thought, but something she said caught his attention. "What did you say her name was?"

"Massani," she replied, absentmindedly, and typed up a quick report for the Council on her omni-tool. Nihlus looked back at the girl and tsk'd, "Massani... As in the daughter of Major General Zaeed Archibald Massani. The enlisted man who rose through the ranks to Colonel, who served under the command of the Butcher of Torfan during the war."

"I see you know your history."

"I know my mistakes."

"Mistakes?" Tela asked, a bit more than curious.

"Who do you think it was that shot off half his face?"

Vasir stifled a snort, "Oh good, this'll be entertaining then."

"Least I now get why a simple retrieval mission called for a Spectre." Nihlus lamented as his mind was pulled back to that cold day twenty-five years ago. "Cerberus would've had a field day if she had died."

"Lucky for us she didn't." Looking absentmindedly at the traffic, Vasir sighed, "Hear about Saren?"

"What did he do this time?"

"Don't know, but he sure as shit pissed of the Batarian councillor. From what I hear, the damn Squint was so riled up that he threatened war with the Hierarchy."

"Like that would've ended well for them." Nihlus scoffed and looked out the window. "Fucking four eyes bitch more than preaching Hanar. Should've just let humanity kill em' all during the war." shaking his head he sighed, "So what's Saren's punishment?"

"You're going to love this." Vasir grinned, "The Council is sending him back to Palaven to train the next generation of Turian Cabal's. He's going to be a special instructor at a freaking boot-camp!" the Asari giggled, "Can you imagine. Saren. Teaching a bunch of kids."

"Spirits help them," Nihlus shared in her laughter.

"But that's not the best part."

"Oh?"

"Guess who's going to be joining the fall class of cadets?"

"Humans, most likely," pulling a bottle of water out from the centre arm rest, he took a swig. "Hierarchy's been inching towards integration for nearly a decade. With the rising power of the Hegemony, its only prudent to bolster ties with our client race. Spirits help us if war breaks out and humanity also decides to rebel."

"What do you mean if? Cerberus is their active rebellion, and it a lot stronger than any of your friends in Palavan high command want to admit," Vasir darkly stated.

"Yes, but at the moment, Cerberus is the only thing keeping the Batarians on their heels in the Terminus." Nihlus sighed, "The uneasy peace we have now is preferable to galactic war."

"Nih, you know as well as I that the Treaty of 314 was not a peace. It was an armistice for twenty-five years." She gave a long pause before continuing, "And we both know how bad it got."

"Thankfully we still have a few years to change the future." Nihlus stated grimly.


	10. Chapter 10: Citadel Blues

**A/N: **_Italics_ indicate internal thought.

Please comment and review

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**Citadel Blues**

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**Location: O.S.I Headquarters, Citadel Iridium vaults. (Office of Spectre Intelligence)**

**Date: August 23rd, 2180**

**Time: 1200 CST**

Waiting for the Deputy Director of Clandestine Operations to call him into his office, Saren pleasantly chatted with a few of the secretaries. As they controlled the scheduling book and knew intimate details about his superiors' private lives, Saren made a point to be on good terms with as many as possible. Leverage was something that always came in handy.

"Saren, come in," said Kuril, holding his door open. Saren could tell from his sub-harmonics that he wasn't too enthused by the meeting. The feeling was mutual. Leaning over Cassandra's desk, he whispered, "wish me luck," to the Asari, and she whispered back, "don't be an ass." The two shared a small smile.

Everyone in the office knew that neither Turian held the other in high regard. Saren saw Kuril as a micromanaging paper pusher who couldn't see the forest for the trees, and Kuril saw Saren as an annoying son of a bitch that spawned mountains of paperwork every time he drew his gun.

Shutting the door, Kuril offered him a seat, but Saren declined. Pulling a fresh cigarette, the deputy director reclined in his chair and exhaled a puff of smoke. "I know it was difficult to come in here cap in hand, that's not the kind of... man you are... I understand that... I'm not looking to humiliate you or exact a price in any way. So why don't you just apologize, we'll call it water under the dam, and we'll go back about our business."

Saren stopped pacing, "excuse me, but what the fuck?"

Kuril blinked, surprised at the statement, "what?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Jondum Bau said you were coming in here to apologize."

"I'm supposed to come in here, so you can apologize to me."

"According to whom?"

"Jondum Bau."

"You told me to go fuck myself! I'm supposed to apologize to you?"

"Also, water goes over a dam and under a bridge, you pretentious schoolboy."

Brushing the ash off his desk, Kuril's mandibles jostled, "Clearly there seems to have been a miscommunication between Jondum Bau and somebody," there was a knock at the door and a Drell in a janitor uniformed entered.

"Who's this?" asked Saren

"He is here to fix the glass window you broke the last time you were here." Kuril guided the Drell out of his office, "excuse us for a second," turning around, he bore down on his fellow Turian. "You told me to go fuck myself, and I'm supposed to apologize? You broke my window and I'm supposed to apologize!"

"The Arcturus job was mine!"

"The Arcturus job was not yours! IF IT WAS YOURS YOU'D BE ON ARCTURUS!"

Saren raised his voice to match Kuril's, "AGUSTUS WOLF STOOD IN THIS OFFICE!"

"AGUSTUS WOLF IS NO LONGER PART OF THIS OFFICE!"

"IT WAS ON THE BOOKS!"

"AGUSTUS WOLF, is no longer director of Earth operations. He does not make appointments, I do!"

"Promises were made!" shouted Saren, jamming his talon into Kuril's desk.

"Not by me!" Kuril shot back and smothered his cigarette in his ash tray.

"I've been with the Spectres for twenty-four years! I was posted in the Skyllian Verge for fifteen! Papendreiue would have won his election, if I didn't have T'Loak take him prisoner! I've neutralized champions of Cerberus!... I've spent the past THREE years learning English! Which'll come in handy on PALAVEN!" Saren sarcastically yelled, "I'm immune to Levo food... So, I want to know why I'm not going to be your Arcturus stations chief!?"

"You're coarse," Kuril shot back rather calmly.

"Excuse me!"

"For Arcturus; I need someone with diplomatic skills... You don't have them."

"And by diplomatic skills," Saren said making air quotes, "you mean another of your xenophobic friends who will inevitably end up making our already precarious relations with the humans even worse."

Kuril expression turned into one of barely contained rage, "you are lucky I didn't get you fired you when you BROKE MY FUCKING WINDOW!"

"Sure, I am Kuril," Saren placed his hands on his hips," I have friends on Palaven, just like you do."

"Let me ask you something," stepping forward, Saren adjusted his belt, "the two hundred agents Quentius rejected my proposal for, was that because they lacked diplomatic skills as well!?"

"You're referring to Councillor Sevetion Quentius," Kuril then gained a nasty grin, "I know you were friendly with Sparatus, and it's a shame what happened, but Quentius was the one next in the line of succession."

Saren clenched both his fists so hard he almost drew blood from his palms. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Yes, the two hundred agents I proposed, each and every spirits damned one of them a first or second generation Hierarchy citizen. Was that because they lacked the proper diplomatic skills?.. Or did Quentius not think it was a good idea to have spies, who were the same species, and could speak the same language, as the people they're fucking spying on!"

Kuril scoffed before continuing, "I know you have several human politicians your trying to get in strong positions, why would this be any different?"

Kuril laughed derisively, "I'm sorry, but you can hardly blame the Councilor for questioning the loyalty to the Hierarchy, of humans; who are barely citizens in the first place!"

"You stuck up pyjaks didn't fight against them, I did. I've seen what humans can do when they are angry and vengeful, it's enough to make a Krogan warlord queasy."

Kuril looked Saren in the eye with an amused expression, "So you would have us just, release them from the Hierarchy, think that will magically make us all friends."

"I'd give them reasons to stop hating us so damn much, maybe then groups like Cerberus wouldn't keep getting stronger."

Kuril waved his hand dismissively, "Cerberus doesn't present any current threat to Citadel space."

"You say that now because they are only slaughtering Batarians in the Terminus, you don't consider who they'll turn their guns on when they run out of those four-eyed fucks."

"Whatever your concerns Saren, you know your new assignment, your heading home to teach biotics." He then gave a mocking smile to him, "you're even going to have a few primates in your class, maybe you can get something into those underdeveloped piles of grey matter they call brains. But don't teach them too well, wouldn't want the Primarch to question your loyalty."

"Yes sir!" Saren gave a mocking salute and going to the Drell's toolbox, picked up a pipe-wrench, "Hey, my friend, I'm gonna need you in a second," slamming the wrench against the newly installed window, a few people around the office shrieked. On Saren's third strike, the window shattered spectacularly.

"SPIRITS DAMMIT!" yelled Kuril.

"MY LOYALTY!" shouted Saren, stepping over broken glass to chuck the spanner onto Kuril's desk. "FOR TWENTY-FOUR YEARS, people have been trying to kill me; people who know how!... Now, do you think that's because my mother owns a chain of moderately successful bathhouses on Palaven!? Or do you think that's because I'm a Council Spectre!... Go fuck yourself!"

Storming past the onlookers, Saren stopped at Cassandra's desk and whispered, "How was I?" she gave him a big thumbs up. "Yeah," he sighed, "I'm gonna go pack my bag."

"Probably should." she replied, and the two shared a grin.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Liara's Apartment**

**Date: August 23rd, 2180**

**Time: 1430 CST**

Covering a yawn with her hand as she entered the apartment, Laira worked out the kink in her neck while she waited for the decontamination unit to finish its business. The knot had formed sometime before lunch and had been gnawing on her nerves the entire day. This type of stress injury was rather commonplace for the maiden; she had received her fair share in medical school, mostly after pulling an all-night study session in the library, and, over the decades, Liara had learned how to suffer through them: Sometimes through force of will, Sometimes with a hot bath, or Sometimes with a few glasses of wine.

However, in recent months, Liara's favorite antidote came in the form of the foot and back massages that Johnathan gave. He was a very skilled masseuse in that regard; his fingertips had a wondrous ability to find every tension point in her body and relieve it. And when he used his biotics, By the Goddess! Her body became a boneless puddle of mewling relaxation.

Sighing contentedly at the thought, Liara closed her eyes as the sterilizer's blue lattice screen of ultraviolet light passed over her body. The oscillating sonic scrubbers made her skin tingle in a pleasant sort of way, cleansing her of any foreign microbial biomass she may have inadvertently picked up on her way home. When the system was finished, the orange box of kinetic barriers that enclosed her melted away like thawing ice water, shimmering for a brief, fleeting moment, before vanishing back into the eight foot tall pylons from which they came; as the barrier fell, there was a minuscule, whooshing hiss of air as the pressure differential between the air in the clean-room, and the air in the apartment, normalized. The pylons themselves, rapidly telescoped backwards towards the door on guide rails mounted into the floor and ceiling.

As peculiarity went, it wasn't the most unusual thing to have a portable decon unit in one's domicile. Aside from sterilization, it also served as a makeshift airlock, allowing for the several races whose bodies had special, atmospheric needs, to artificially create an environment where they could live outside their exosuits for extended periods of time. It wasn't unusual, but it was far from commonplace.

"Hey, Liara. How was work?" she heard Tali lackadaisically ask from the couch. "Exhausting," she replied with another sigh, "but no one died, so all in all it was a good day." Tali chuckled, "that's good. Death is bad. I hear people try everything to avoid it all their life." Liara's lips curled up in a grin at Tali's sarcasm. From the kitchen, she smelled the delicious aroma of simmering meat, "I have good news though!"

"Oh?" Tali put the vidscreen on pause and swivelled in place to give Liara her full attention.

"I bribed Sella to switch shifts with me, and I managed to get myself a three-day weekend." The Asari did a happy little shimmy, "so break out the wine, cause we're gonna party!" Tali half-heartedly threw up her hands, "woo-hoo!" Liara was taken aback. "It may be the ten-hour shift talking, but I don't detect much woo in your hoo, Tali... This is cause for celebration; what gives?"

"Sorry," Tali sighed with a despondent huff, "It's just that Shepard's been in a bit of a sour mood all day and it's rather infectious," she lowered her voice, "he received some bad news from home."

"What news?" Liara asked, concern lacing her tone.

"It's best if you hear it from him, or just ask one the neighbours, ancestors know he was yelling loud enough." The facial lines above Liara's eyes arched upwards in stunned surprise, "John, our John, yelled?"

"Yuuuuup." Tali clenched her fist dramatically, "It was like he erupted with seething fiery rage... see that?" She glanced at the crumpled ball of metal Tali pointed at. "That was a nicely refurbished DP-4 Tokmakov-particle regulator. Pricey one too. Bio boy went a bit psychotic and crushed it with his mind."

"By the Goddess!" Liara stammered, at a loss for words. She had never seen Shepard express his emotions violently before, he normally navigated conflict through persuasive debate, not with brute force like a Krogan. Joining her roommate on the couch, Liara folded her hands in her lap and softly asked, "What happened?" praying things sounded worse in her head than they actually were.

"No one died, if that's what you're worried about," came Tali's timid reply, she rather disliked playing the messenger. It was a role she played previously for others, info-brokers mostly, and if experience had taught her anything, it was that the messenger almost always got shot. So, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, she continued. "You know how John's been working to schedule QEC time with Mindoir?"

Liara nodded, her mouth suddenly feeling dry.

"Well, today, he managed to snag about ten minutes of open bandwidth." Tali spoke in a hushed tone that forced Liara to lean in close, "and found out that his eldest sister, Elizabeth; I think that's her name? Tall. Redhead. Greenish blue eyes." Liara nodded. "Well... She, and this other girl, Ashley"

"John's girlfriend?"

"I believe so," Tali tilted her head uncertain, barely recognizing the name and recalling only sparse, fragmented, snippets of information that Shepard had told them.

"They went off and did something he thinks is absolutely idiotic."

"What did they do?" Laira asked, in the same low whisper as before. Tali looked over her shoulder one last time, making sure the coast was clear before continuing, "They enlisted." Liara was taken aback, confusion evident on her face, "In the Alliance Auxiliary?"

"No, not the Auxiliaries... The Legionary."

"Legionary?" Liara's jaw dropped in disbelief, "They enlisted in the Turian military!" Tali nodded. "As what? Cacula?" Tali shook her head, "no, not Cacula... Centurions." The Asari sank back into her seat, dazed and speechless, "I even overheard them say that because of their parents' military accomplishments, two spots will be reserved for them at Hastatus Decurion."

"The elite Officer school on Palaven?" Liara swallowed, "but I thought the Hierarchy kept their armed forces segregated? What changed?"

"Who knows?" Tali shrugged, "They aren't rushing towards full integration just yet. His sister is part of something called: Reforged Sword... After he stormed off, I did some digging and discovered that Reforged Sword is an experimental military personnel exchange program. 150 Human cadets are integrated into the Legionary, and 150 Turian cadets are integrated into the Alliance Auxiliaries."

Liara massaged her brow and shook her head, "this sounds like a bloodbath waiting to happen."

"I think the authors of the program hope it'll be a step towards healing the wounds of the last war."

"I see..." turning her eyes towards the back, "Where is he?"

"In the garage," Tali replied and shifted in her seat again, her suit made a squeaking noise as she did, "been out there most of the day, comes in every so often to check on dinner, but then heads back out... Pretty melancholy about the whole thing now. You should probably go talk to him."

"Haven't you?"

"I tried, but I can't stay focused for very long," Tali's voice trailed off at the end, hinted at something. The line above Liara's left eye arched sharply upward, "what does that mean?"

Tali looked away sheepishly but seeing as Liara's gaze wasn't faltering an exasperated sigh escaped her lips, making her mouth port light flicker rapidly as she tried not to squirm. "He's been working on the car all day... and his muscles are on full display," her docile, dual-toned voice turned heady as a predatory purr rasped the back of her throat, "Keelah, Liara! He just looks so fucking hot!"

Narrowing her eyes into accusatory slits, Liara smacked Tali's suit covered arm repeatedly with her hands, swatting her cowering and squealing roommate in the hopes that it would beat some modesty into her. Her slaps weren't hard, more playful really, but they weren't light feather falls either.

"Ouch!-Ouch!-Ouch!-Okay!-Okay!-I-Get-It-I-Get-It-Stop!-Stop!-Stop!"

Finishing her assault with a coup-de-grace slap to the back of Tali's bucket head, Liara all but shouted, "By the Goddess; What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"What?! I never see that kind of muscle with Quarians, don't judge me," Tali emphatically stated and massaged her arm and shoulder.

"Tali, that's offensive!... You can't just treat him like a picture for you to ogle." There was an audible thunk from Tali's face-mask planting hard onto the back of the couch.

"Keelah... It's... Never-mind." Liara shook her head, "Why do you have such a filthy mind? Someone should clean your mouth out with soap."

"If someone's going to wash out her mouth, I volunteer. You hold her down, and I'll get scrubbing." said Shepard as he entered the kitchen. Going to the stove, he gave the pot a good stir to make sure nothing burned. Looking past the chemistry set on the counter that Tali used to make her antibiotics, he idly commented, "Dinner should be ready soon. Well, ours is. I still have to start Ms. Potty-mouth von naughty child's."

"It's Vas, not Von," said Tali, "Von, means one who has a weak bladder."

"Learn something new everyday," he hummed and started on a smaller version of the stew with dextro vegetables and meat. "By the way, Tali, the cars ready for painting. I took the liberty and began rebuilding the drive core."

"ALREADY!" she gasped in utter surprise, "It shouldn't be ready for painting for another week!"

"I was motivated," John shrugged as he washed and sterilized his hands with a special soap. "How was your day, Liara?"

"Better than yours, from what I've heard."

"Yeah," he lamented as he chopped vegetables, "Lizzy's as stubborn as a mule. When her minds made up, there's nothing no one can say to change her. But I love her for it... Should've seen it when ma' said she couldn't have a gun." John shook his head and chuckled, "tell a child she can't have a gun, and she goes off to join the military. Lesson in parenting right there folks."

Liara spoke up. "If your sister is half the soldier your mother and father were, I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I know she'll be fine, that's not what I'm worried about."

"Then what are you worried about?"

"There are things worse than death, Liara. Wounds that, no matter how much time has passed, will never properly heal." Liara noticed the pensive expression on his face, "By the time Abbey came around, my parents were on the mend. I was five years old when she was born, but I remember: My father's spells, the nightmares, him screaming out in the night... God, there was so much yelling."

"He sought treatment, and, as the years passed, things got better; He adjusted to civilian life, even started to laugh and crack jokes again; be the man my mother fell in love with. But every time he took two steps forward, he always fell one step back." Tali noticed John's eyes had a distant, sombre look in them. "A thunderstorm would spark an episode, or the sound of rain on the tin roof... There were times when I would sit on our porch playing with wooden blocks, and he'd be in his rocking chair, and he'd just have this, this, this thousand-yard stare."

Shaking his head, John continued. "Even now, though his episodes are rare, I know that I will never truly know the man my father was before the war... To everyone else, my father is every bit the war hero the newsreels made him out to be. A General who valiantly commanded tens of thousands of men and women into battle. A man who did the impossible... I just don't want Lizzy to end up the same."

Liara stood up and walked over placing a hand on his shoulder supportively, "I know the thought of that seems horrible to you, but you can relax. The Hierarchy isn't going to throw her straight into firefights."

Shepard smiled, "Yeah, it'll be a month until she starts attending the academy, and even then, she is doing a three year officer training program before she is commissioned. Anyway, the only thing I can do is help her, and if the worst happens, pick up the pieces... Speaking of which. Liara, I hope you don't mind, but I registered for the Kepesh-Yakshi open tournament going on this weekend at the Silversun Casino."

Liara's mind was sent spinning at the abrupt topic change, "Why would I mind?"

John scratched the back of his neck and sheepishly replied, "cause I used your credit chit to pay the entrance fee," he saw her puzzled face and he added quickly, "It was only a hundred credits, and the grand prize is ten thousand. The bio-amp I want to buy Lizzy costs a few grand, and the winnings will more than cover it.

"When did all this happen?" asked Tali, a deadpan curiosity in her voice.

John shrugged, "I was going to bring it up during dinner. Originally, my plan was for us to spend tomorrow on the town, taking advantage of all the free activities the strip provides, and perhaps catch a few of the matches at the Casino. But then the call came and, yeah, plans changed."

"Why would your sister need a new bio-amp?" Laira asked.

"Cause the Turian military doesn't provide them," the girls heard the scowl in his voice., "Something about rarity of biotic Turians, and how it's a specialty item, and how every family sends their kid to boot camp with some equipment," John cocked his head, "I guess it's like a rite of passage or something... Personally, though, I think it's cause the Hierarchy is stingy and wants to pinch credits."

"Is the amp she currently has no good?" Tali asked.

"It's not that it's not good; the one she has is the same as mine," he smiled, "Mom pulled some strings and got a bulk batch of L3's for the family. But the amp I have is a civilian model, and Lizzy's gonna need something with a bit more kick."

Doing her best to process this new information as it came, Liara asked, "and what makes you so sure you can win?"

A confident smirk spread across his lips, "My mother was a Rear Admiral in the Navy, my father was a Two-Star General in the Marines, one of my uncle's was a Four-Star General in the Army, and the other uncle was the Admiral of the Alliance's Fifth fleet... And for the past fifteen years, I spent many a night playing Kepesh-Yakshi against them... And I've never won once."

"Not exactly filling me with confidence." giggled Liara.

He rolled his eyes with a small smile, "What I meant to say is that I've been tutored by people who've actually been in a war. I doubt half the people in that tournament can say the same."


	11. Chapter 11: Rules of the Game

**A/N: **_Italics_ indicate internal thought.

Please comment and review

I don't know the rules for Kepesh-Yakshi so I made them up

* * *

**Rules of the Game**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Shalta Ward, Silversun Strip**

**Date: August 25th, 2180**

**Time: 1900 CST**

Shepard was completely overwhelmed by the sheer hustle and bustle of the Silversun strip as he walked behind Tali and Liara. He saw a huge number of stores, with a constant stream of customers, all advertised by bright glowing signs. In the distance was the famous Max Arsenal arena, Tali had told him that it was an extremely popular holographic combat simulator that broadcasted its matches all over the galaxy, he had already become quite a fan after watching a few matches.

Shepard put those thoughts to one side as the three of them entered the Silversun Strip casino, where he would be playing in the Kepesh-Yakshi tournament. Shepard had never been to a casino, there hadn't been any on a farming colony like Mindoir. However, he had seen Vids about Las Vegas a city on earth that was extremely famous for its casinos. He imagined it would have been a lot like this. Everywhere he looked there were people playing on machines, putting in credits and hoping to get a lucky spin on the large holographic screens as well as the gambling game Liara had told him about called Quasar. He also saw tables scattered around the floor of casino with people of all species sitting around them playing what he assumed was poker and other games.

The sheer activity and life of the casino brought a huge smile to his face. Unfortunately, on second glance he noticed a much more undesirable feature of the casino. A considerable number of human slaves were moving around the tables carrying drinks and what he assumed were appetisers. In addition, he saw several of the casino's patrons had their own personal slave attending them, he noticed Batarians and Turians with stunningly beautiful human women standing behind their chairs and serving their drinks, wearing extravagant cocktail dresses. There were also several Asari seated at the tables and walking around the floor of the casino with very muscular male humans on their arms. Shepard tried to read some of their expressions, and while he could see some that seemed genuinely content with their situation a large majority were forcing smiles onto their faces.

_Something I can relate to. _He mused.

"John the tournament is going to be starting soon, we need to get you checked in before the deadline," Liara exclaimed while trying to pull him along.

Liara was wearing a more formal dress tonight to accede to the casino's dress code. It wasn't as extravagant the one she had worn on her date with Anto, but in Shepard's opinion it still looked like a high-end ballgown.

Tali was obviously still wearing her Enviro-suit but the outer cloth was now a silver colour, she had told him that is what constituted as formal wear with Quarians.

He himself had been forced to wear a formal suit, in his honest opinion it made him feel really uncomfortable, he had never been one to attend high-end functions back home and thus had never been required to wear anything very formal. He wore it though for two reasons, it insured he met the dress code to even enter the casino in the first place and Liara and Tali had paid for it out of their own accounts, Liara and even spent ages combing down is extremely unruly hair to make him more presentable.

The three of them picked up the pace and walked towards a door near the back of the casino's opening floor, there was a desk with a Salarian sitting behind it with a large Krogan standing next to him.

Liara approached the desk and said, "hello my name is Liara T'soni, I am registered for the tournament."

The Salarian looked away from her and checked the screen in front of him before responding, "yes, your entrance fee has been verified Miss T'soni, your entry into this tournament is confirmed."

"Actually, my slave will be participating in the tournament on my behalf," Liara remarked gesturing to Shepard as she did so.

The Salarian paused what he was doing suddenly before looking at Shepard with an unbelieving look, after a moment he turned his gaze back to Liara and asked, "are you certain that is what you want miss? A lot of the contestants tonight are veterans of the game."

Liara returned with a bright smile before responding, "I appreciate your concern, but this is how I wish to proceed thank you."

The Salarian let out a long sigh, "very well, please proceed inside Miss T'soni, the tournament schedule will be announced once all the contestants have been confirmed."

The Salarian gave a small glare towards Tali, "Will your…. companion, also be in attendance?" From the way he said it, it seemed like even calling her that was being more courteous than she deserved.

Liara eyes narrowed slightly, "Yes. Is that a problem?"

"I am afraid we will need to carry out a security check on her, in case she is carrying anything that would provide your representative with an unfair advantage during the tournament." He then gestured to the Krogan, who activated his omni-tool and began to scan Tali then began handling her more roughly than he obviously needed to as he patted her down.

After a painstaking security scan, the Salarian seemed placated and allowed the three of them to enter.

Looking around, Shepard could see that the room was oval in shape, with the holographic board where the game would take place positioned in the centre of the room. Around it were several platform rings, each slightly higher the further out from the center they were. Positioned on these platforms were various tables and chairs, where Shepard assumed the spectators could sit and enjoy drinks as they watched the tournament, he could see there were already a large number of people seated around the room. In the corners he could also see various cameras positioned. Liara had told him that this tournament would be broadcasted, there were several large screens positioned around the room to provide the spectators with a close-up view.

After about twenty minutes the opening schedule of the tournament was displayed on the screens, the tournament was set out in a standard way, there were sixty-four competitors and you had to defeat your opponent to advance to the next round. Shepard looked at the schedule and saw that he was in the third match, so he found his seat with Tali and Liara and made himself comfortable.

It was at that moment that Shepard heard a large commotion coming from the entrance to the tournament hall. He turned his head in the direction of the noise to see that a large crowd of spectators had gathered around, they quickly parted and Shepard got a clear view. It was an Asari wearing a red Thessian dress, from the attention she had attracted Shepard assumed that she was a matriarch. She was accompanied by two commandos as well as a human female wearing a white dress, a woman he recognised. Before he had even registered it, they had made their way over to their table.

"Liara, we do seem to have a habit of running into each other regularly. It's a pleasure to see you again," said Miranda Lawson in a cheerful tone.

"It's wonderful to see you as well Miranda," Liara replied.

The Asari then stepped forward, "so this is the young woman you mentioned Miranda. Matriarch Sha'ira, delighted to make your acquaintance Miss T'soni." Her voice seemed to carry centuries of wisdom behind it, which considering how old she was, it probably did.

Liara's expression turned to one of a deer being caught in headlights at being addressed directly by someone so famous, she hurriedly tried to compose herself.

"It… It is an honour to meet you matriarch, I had no idea that you were going to compete in such event."

Sha'ira gave a small chuckle, "I am merely here as a spectator, this game has been a passion of mine for centuries after all, are you here to compete?"

Liara fidgeted nervously, "no, John is going to compete on my behalf," gesturing to him.

The matriarch turned her gaze to Shepard, who raised his head to meet her stare, for a moment he thought he saw a flash of recognition pass through her eyes.

Sha'ira gave him a warm smile, "a pleasure to make your acquaintance young man, I wish you the best of luck for the upcoming tournament."

Shepard quickly remembered the man his parents had taught him to be, "thank you ma'am, I have heard a lot of people talk about you during my time on the citadel."

"Really, and what kind of things have you heard?" She asked.

Shepard gulped, took a moment to formulate a correct response, he knew that this person was extremely influential, and he had to be extremely careful with what he said to her.

"A lot of people come to you for advice, in truth you sound like some sort of Oracle."

The matriarch gave a small laugh at that statement, "that is quite a flattering notion, but the future is not set in stone and cannot be seen by anybody. We all forge our own destiny."

The PA system then announced the beginning of the first match, so Sha'ira excused herself, and she and her party made their way to, in Shepard's opinion at least, what was probably the best seat in the room.

As the first match started, Shepard made sure to pay close attention to the participants, after all he would end up playing against some of them sooner or later.

He quickly went over the rules in his head as he watched a Turian and an Elcor play against each other.

Each player had three frigates under their control, these ships provided the heavy firepower for the players army. Each player also had nine fighters, they were more manoeuvrable than the frigates but had less offensive capability, and couldn't travel as far, this however could be countered as each frigate could carry two fighters. Then there was the homeworld, this was the piece that the player needed to protect at all costs, as its destruction determined the winner of the match.

Shepard remembered that in terms of battling, players would move their ship towards an enemy ship and engage in combat. The standard fighter could destroy other fighters but not a frigate. While the frigates could destroy fighters and other frigates but couldn't damage the home world. This is where the upgrades came into play, every time a player was victorious in combat they would gain upgrade tokens, one for destroying a fighter and three for destroying a frigate. Either player could equip their upgrade tokens at the start of their turn. They could be used to upgrade the offensive, defensive or manoeuvrability of a ship. Thus, you had to upgrade your ship's to be able to destroy the home world.

As Shepard watched the match, he noticed that when one of the Elcor's frigates was destroyed it sent an electric shock through his console. Shepard gave a questioning glance at Liara who responded, "It's a neurological feedback, it de-incentives a player from sacrificing pieces casually."

_That is not the way I played it with any of my family _Shepard thought slightly disturbed.

After approximately half an hour it was time for Shepard's first match. He sat down in his chair opposite a Salarian, who gave a nasty smirk in his direction.

The games VI system lit up and spoke, "Engaging starter function," a light began to flash between green and orange to decide who would make the first move. It flashed green signifying Shepard.

"You will need every advantage you can get," the Salarian said snidely. Shepard knew the main purpose of that insult was to get under his skin and throw him off his game, it was a common tactic both his uncles used," I'm sorry do you not have the brain capacity to comprehend what I'm telling you?" Shepard tuned the Salarian out.

He had a quick look over the board, there was a time limit to make your move otherwise you forfeited your turn. He quickly recalled something his mother had told him, _occasionally the enemy will be overeager to draw first blood, this can be used to draw them out of formation._

Shepard moved one of his fighter on the right forward slightly, it wasn't in range for any of the enemy ships to declare combat, and if his opponent wanted it to be, he would have to move his frigate the maximum distance.

It took a lot of Shepherd's self-control not to crack a grin as his opponent moved his frigate forward, his opponent didn't engage in combat yet, but the look he gave Shepard, gave the impression that he wasn't taking this primitive human seriously.

The next few moves consisted of both sides advancing their ships forward, always ensuring that if the opponent were to attack with a ship it would be quickly destroyed in the next turn. All the while the Salarian was eyeing Shepard, waiting for him to make a bad move.

The Salarian moved his middle frigate in a left diagonal direction, this was when Shepard saw an opportunity to instigate the next part of his plan. He moved his right frigate in a left diagonal direction, seemingly to meet the Salarian's advancing frigate, and leaving the right side of his field protected only by the fighter he had moved in his first turn.

The Salarian didn't even bother to mask his smile as he moved his left frigate forward and launched its fighters. He didn't attack though he had stopped just out of range of the lone fighter.

_He probably expects me to attack first, so then he can destroy my fighter and then he has a clear shot at my homeworld. But he hasn't noticed how I've changed the angle of my middle frigate. Well here goes._

Shepard moved his lone fighter forward and engaged in combat with the fighter on the left side of the frigate. As he was the attacker and both fighters had no upgrades, he proved the victor and destroyed the enemy fighter. A "plus one" icon appeared on his keyboard indicating he had gained an upgrade token.

The Salarian gave a light chuckle and moved his frigate into combat with the fighter, the fighter was completely outmatched and quickly destroyed. "Even a Vorcha would know to leave more than a single fighter to guard a point of attack," the Salarian said in a mocking tone.

Shepard winced as he felt the electric shock travel through his arm, "Yeah, and they also would have recognised when something was bait for a trap," he quickly used his upgrade token to increase the manoeuvrability of his middle frigate. The frigate's new upgrade in combination with its already desirable angle towards the Salarian's frigate meant it was able to engage in combat and with the supporting fighter covering that side destroyed, Shepard had a clear line.

The Salarian's expression quickly turned to one of horror as he saw one of his frigates destroyed, then to pain as he received a much larger shock than Shepard had. "I believe that's called the Bay-Lucien gambit, but of course I probably don't possess the brain function to understand such concepts," Shepard said smugly.

What followed next could simply be called a massacre. The Salarian rapidly tried to pull his ships back and mount an effective defence, even managing to destroy a few of Shepard's fighters and one of his frigates, but at the rate Shepard was destroying his ships and upgrading his own he was woefully unprepared to defend against Shepherd's upgraded fleet.

Soon his last ship was destroyed, and Shepard was able to secure the Salarian's homeworld securing his victory.

Compared to previous shocks, the neural shock the Salarian received from actually losing was enough to knock him off his seat and leave him spasming on the floor.

The entire hall became deathly quiet, it was obvious none of them had expected the human to actually win. Then suddenly a single pair of hands started clapping in applause.

Everyone turned their heads towards the noise, only to realise it was Sha'ira, everyone else then began rapidly applauding as well, although from what Shephard saw it was somewhat reluctant.

As the boards lit up declaring him the winner, Shepard learnt another rule of Kepesh-Yakshi that he was previously unaware of. Unused upgrade tokens were carried over to your next match, meaning your future victories were just as dependent on your past ones.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Shalta Ward, Silversun Strip**

**Time: 2100 CST**

Shepard released a huge sigh of relief as he saw his Turian opponent collapse from the neural shock. He had just won the semi-final match, however his expression turned slightly grim as he looked at the number of remaining upgrade tokens he had. He needed to use quite a few to increase the defence of his homeworld during this last match, so he wouldn't lose, but now he had only four remaining.

Once again, all the spectators seemed to be completely shocked that he had won his match, and once again it took applause from Sha'ira for the rest of them to start clapping.

John calmly walked towards the table where Tali and Liara were sitting, both barely able to contain their excitement.

"I know you said you had an advantage over many of the players here tonight John, but I never would have thought it would give you such a huge advantage," said Liara.

"I know you've got this entire tournament… What's the human saying, in the sack?" Tali remarked giving her own opinion.

"In the bag, Tali," John corrected.

Liara's gaze turned towards the second semi-final match, where she gritted her teeth and said," Goddess, I was hoping she wouldn't make it this far."

"Who wouldn't get this far?" Shepard asked looking in the same direction as her.

"Selarizia T'nasir," Liara responded pointing towards the Asari currently destroying her Hanar opponent, "She is the daughter of Matriarch Nieziha T'nasir, one of the most powerful matriarchs in Asari space, rivalling my own mother. We occasionally crossed paths while I was at University on Thessia."

Liara's brow gained a deep frown as she recalled those unsavoury memories.

"She was a self-entitled brat, who would always try to use her family name to get what she wanted. However, I have to admit she was a monster at this game, and it would appear she has gotten even better."

Suddenly a loud ringing noise came out of the speakers surrounding the room indicating the current match was over. Selarizia was staring at her fallen opponent with an extremely smug expression on her face.

_She beat him in less than 10 minutes _Shepard thought completely stunned.

He took a deep breath before he proceeded back down to the game board and sat down opposite Selarizia. With a sadistic grin, she eyed Shepard, "you know if your mistress wanted to advertise how good at tricks her trained monkey was, she succeeded very well. I'm sure there will be many interested parties eager to buy you from her after tonight."

Shepard felt his blood boil at that statement, not because she had insulted him, he expected that. It was the fact that she assumed Liara was only doing this to earn credits.

_Liara isn't an immoral bitch like you, _he knew saying something like that out loud wouldn't do anything to help them.

"Are you here to talk or play?" John asked through gritted teeth.

"It was compliment primate," she responded in a sickeningly sweet voice," very well I will make this as painless as possible."

The VI lit up to choose who would start, it finished on orange, meaning Selarizia would start. John felt dread fill his body as he saw that she had over twenty upgrade tokens and quickly equipped all of them to her ships before moving one of her frigates forward.

"Try to make this at least mildly entertaining."

John quickly tried to look over his options, none of his ships could handle hers in combat at the moment, so it would be difficult for him to gain more upgrade tokens, and at the moment her ships were in an unbreakable formation.

He tried to lure her into combat to try and bring one of her ships out of formation and create a gap in her defence, but as several turns passed between them, she used her upgraded ships to destroy his advancing ones without breaking her fleets formation, it ended up costing him a frigate and two fighters.

Shepard felt several beads of sweat run down his forehead, he just couldn't see any feasible way to beat her. Suddenly his mind flashed back to a time many years ago.

_He was fourteen years old and sitting at the table of his family's dining room with a portable Kepesh-Yakshi board positioned between him and his uncle. The board was no bigger than a simple chessboard with two holographic keypads coming out of either end, nothing like the huge table he was playing on right now._

_He was grinning to himself, he had finally destroyed all three of his uncle's frigates and was one move away from seizing the homeworld._

_His uncle gave a small chuckle, "well it looks like you've really been improving John. You've backed me into quite the corner."_

"_I've beat you this time uncle Hector, your fleet can't beat mine now." he replied in an overeager voice._

"_But you've still forgotten one thing, it's not about the fleet, it's about the objective." His uncle then advanced one of his fighters through a gap that he had unwittingly created in his formation while advancing his ships and destroyed his homeworld_

_John screamed in disappointment and gently smacked his head against the table._

"_Remember kid, you can lose as many ships as you have to but as long as you can get the objective you can still win. You just got to be willing to take the risk."_

Shaking himself out of his stroll down memory lane, John quickly re-evaluated the board and he noticed that Selarizia hadn't added any of her upgrade tokens to her home world. A plan began to form inside Shepard's mind, but it would require a lot of luck.

Shepard began moving his pieces, destroying a few of Selarizia's fighters and while slowly but surely spreading her fleet further apart. Eventually Shephard was left with only one frigate and a single fighter with upgraded speed and he only had four upgrade tokens left. He moved his last frigate forward a bit, and then held his breath.

Selarizia had an almost bored expression on her face as she advanced one of her frigates forward.

_Please destroy the frigate, please destroy the frigate. _Shepard repeated in his head.

Selarizia gave a dark chuckle, "Given a few more centuries of practice, you might have become marginally challenging, it's sad that humans don't have that kind of time." She then opened fire, "And now it appears you have lost your last frigate."

John ignored the shock from the keyboard before looking Selarizia in the eye and responded, "Traded actually, for your home world."

He used his last remaining upgrade tokens to increase the weapons of his lone fighter, and then had it fly through the gap Selarizia had unwittingly created when she advanced her frigate, and with its upgraded weapons, it was able to destroy her homeworld.

Selarizia screamed in shock as she was electrocuted, and the screens around the room declared him the winner.

Sha'ira immediately started clapping, and soon all the others in attendance joined in. John looked over towards Tali and Liara to see them clapping enthusiastically with bright smiles on their faces.

After the congratulations and award presentation, where in Shepard's opinion, the presenter looked like it was trying to get it over and done with this as soon as possible, Shepard was reunited with Tali and Liara outside the casino, who both enveloped him in a huge hug.

"Keelah, that was incredible John." Tali said excitedly.

Liara flashed up her omni-tool, "And the credits have been transferred successfully, you will be able to buy your sister that bio-amp tomorrow."

"We should go celebrate, let's go get drinks," Tali half shouted as she pumped her fist into the air.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Shalta Ward, Silversun Strip**

**Time: 2130 CST**

After several rounds of drinks, the three of them made their way to the arcade, where they proceeded to relax by playing several of the games.

Shepard was leaning against a wall while watching Liara and Tali duke it out in a boxing game where each player controlled a holographic fighter and proceeded to gain points by hitting each other.

A smile spread Shepard's face as he saw how much the two were enjoying themselves, being able to let out the stress they had undoubtedly built up from watching him in the tournament.

He quickly glanced around the arcade, until his gaze landed upon a young human male playing on one of the flight simulators, with a twelve year old Turian girl standing behind him. Before he knew what he was doing John was walking over to him.

The man playing the game suddenly cheered and raised his hands in triumph, as the game's screen flashed up showing he had gotten the high score.

"Joker?"

Indeed, the person playing the flight simulation game, was his old friend Jeff Moreau, who quickly spun round at the mention of his name, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Shepard?" Quickly overcoming his surprise, Joker walked up to Shepard and pulled him into a huge hug, "Damn it is good to see you man."

"You too Joker, I had no idea what happened to you."

"I told you I would land on my feet, ended up getting sold to some Turian couple and their little girl." He said gesturing to the Turian girl who had come up to them. Jeff's expression then turned serious.

"Seriously John, I'm amazed you're alive after hearing about what happened at the clinic."

Shepard grimaced as he recalled the events, "How did you hear about it though? It was covered up pretty well."

"Yeah well her dad is C-sec, and I overheard him mention what actually happened."

"Well I actually got extremely lucky thanks to quite a few people, and ended up getting bought by Liara," Shepard replied.

"Wow there is a God," Joker replied humorously.

"So, what are you doing here playing a flight simulator Joker?" Shepard asked.

"Jeff's teaching me to be a pilot," the girl spoke up.

John looked at her for a moment before looking back at Joker with a disbelieving look.

Joker scratched the back of his head and gave a soft chuckle, "Yeah, Octenea wants to be a pilot when she starts her military training, so she would always play these flight games, one day I tried to give her some pointers, and she replied by saying, 'let's see you do better' she then gave the game to me and I did."

"You never flown a ship in your life Jeff," Shepard said folding his arms.

"Her parents tell me I must have a hell of a natural talent for flying," suddenly Jeff's omni-tool lit up, indicating it received a message.

"Sorry John, I've got to go, it's her bed time, " Octenea pouted as he said that, "we should try and meet up again."

"Yeah that would be great Joker." Shepard replied, slightly sad that his friend was already leaving, he watched as they met up with a stern looking Turian male, presumably Octenea's father and walked out of the arcade.

Then someone grabbed him from behind.

Before he could comprehend what was happening, he had been dragged out an emergency exit and into a back alley, he was then thrown against the side of the wall, and after the impact fell face first onto the ground.

Regaining his senses, he pushed himself up onto his knees before a large foot, pressed down on his head, smashing his face back into the ground.

He could feel the blood began to run down his face, he looked into the corner of his eye and saw that his assailants were two Krogan.

"Not yet boys, I want him conscious for this," he heard the feminine voice coming from a few feet in front of him.

He felt the force alleviate from the back of his head, and he looked up…. right into the face of Selarizia T'nasir. She crouched down, to be eye-level with him.

"What the 'cough' hell is this about," Shepard asked, barely able to get the words out.

Selarizia looked back at him with an expression of absolute rage, she biotically charged her fist, and then back handed him across the face. Ordinarily Shepard would have been able to take an ordinary backhand, but using her biotics, it hit like a sledgehammer, causing him to split up more blood.

"Did you think I would allow the insult you dealt me to go unanswered, you human filth?" She said in a deathly whisper," did you think I would just let the humiliation you made me sufferer slide."

"I just beat you at a game lady." Shepard responded trying to stay conscious.

"There is no way a primate like you could have beaten me in a fair match. Tell me was that suit-rat helping you cheat?" Selarizia shouted.

John felt his blood boil as she insulted Tali, "don't call her that, bitch." He raised his right arm and tried to throw a punch at her, but one of the Krogan pinned his arm under his large foot.

Selarizia looked at him in shock for a minute before she burst out laughing, "did you just try to throw a punch at me? ME. Do you have any idea who I am." She paused for a moment to look him directly in the eye.

"I could just say the word and you would suffer a fate so horrible you would beg for death."

She then turned around and began to walk away, and that is when it started.

The two Krogan began beating his prone form, his body exploded with agony as he felt the impact from their fists and feet. He felt ribs crack as he was kicked. He tried to raise his arms to defend himself, but another blow to the head and he blacked out.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Shalta Ward, Silversun Strip**

**Time: 2300 CST**

Shepard wasn't sure how long he had been lying in the back allay, he didn't know how long it was since those two Krogan stopped beating him, he had been drifting in and out of consciousness completely losing his sense of time.

_Got to get out of here find someone who can help_

He heard heavy footsteps coming towards him, he weakly lifted his head and saw a blurred figure. From it's shape John could tell it was a Krogan. Panic set in as he feared that one of them had come back to finish the job.

"Dammit kid, what happened to you?" The Krogan knelt down towards Shepard, at this closer distance Shepard could see the scarred face and red head plate.

_Wait I know him… _Shepard thought as his consciousness once again began to slip.

The Krogan activated his omni-tool, "Tali, it's Wrex, I found your human, but he's in a pretty bad way."

Shepard heard Tali's voice coming from the omni-tool, "Thank the ancestors, please Wrex bring him home quickly."

"Got it." Wrex deactivated his omni-tool and picked Shepard up, carrying him over his shoulder," come on let's get moving."


	12. Chapter 12: Another option

**A/N: **_Italics_ indicate internal thought.

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to suggestions and constructive criticism.

* * *

**Another Option**

* * *

_He was back there again. Nothing but absolute darkness, once again the red lightning surged across the synapse, illuminating the darkness. _

_His mind wasn't on that. _

_His mind was on what had happened to him, and it filled him with rage, rage that the pain he was suffering was just for petty revenge, that she thought she had some self-deluded right to judge his fate._

_As his anger grew the intensity of the red lightning increased as it surged faster._

_Then there was a flicker and he saw a tiny blue light, far away, deep in the black void surrounding him._

_As he looked at it he felt his anger ebb and the red lightning faded out once again._

"_not yet" he heard a calm quite voice say to him._

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Bachjret ward. T'soni apartment.**

**Date: August 26th 2180**

**Time: 0900 CST**

John awoke with a gasp, and quickly sat up from his prone position, a decision he immediately regretted as felt a great burning pain in his side, causing him to clutch it, and fall onto his back again with a barely constrained groan.

"Oh thank the goddess, John you're awake," he heard Liara's voice and she quickly entered his line of sight. She activated the flashlight function of her omni-tool, "all right, please look directly into the light." She used her left hand to keep his right eye open while shining the light into it. A look of relief washed over her face, "it's all right, it doesn't look like you suffered any permanent brain damage."

Shepard groaned slightly, as he carefully manoeuvred himself into a sitting position and looked around, he was currently lying on the couch in Liara's apartment, with medical tape covering the injuries he had sustained last night. "What happened?" Shepard asked while massaging his head.

"I suppose you've got me to thank for saving your ass kid." Shepard heard a gruff voice coming from the kitchen counter, a voice that belong to a large Krogan wearing red armour, his head plate was a deep blood red colour, and he was supporting several large scars which had cut several gouges into his head plate and continued down the right side of his face. He was currently resting a large claymore shotgun on the counter.

Shepard blinked for a second before his eyes widened in recognition, "Hey you're Urdnot Wrex, I've seen you several times with Tali."

Wrex gave a hearty laugh, "Yeah, met the girl when she first came to the Citadel, drove off a bunch of xenophobic bastards trying to get her. I make a point to try and see her every time I'm back on the Citadel."

"He even taught me how to fire my shotgun properly at the shooting range, helped me get out of a few scrapes on my own since," Tali chimed in.

Liara looked back at John with a concerned expression on her face, "We were so worried when we suddenly lost sight of you, and we couldn't find you anywhere."

"Lucky for them I was trying to get drunk in one of the nearby bars. I heard them out, and unlike them I know all the places on the Silversun strip were bad things happen, and that's where I found you in that alleyway beaten to a pulp. Thought you might have been dead when I first saw ya," Wrex said while taking a swig from a glass he was holding.

"Well then, thanks a lot," Shepard said gratefully.

"It's no problem," Wrex responded waving him off.

"What happened to you John, why did you suddenly go off on your own, I've told you how dangerous that can be for you," Liara asked.

John gave a long exhale before proceeding to tell them what happened to him. "I was walking through the arcade, and then I actually saw Joker, you know my friend from Mindoir. I went over to him, and we talked for a bit, we were both glad the other was doing okay. Then after he left I got grabbed and… and suddenly I was rebounding off a wall in the alleyway."

"Keelah! Who the hell did that to you?" Tali said slamming her fist against the table as she did.

Shepard looked down crestfallen, "Selarizia, couldn't stand losing," he said through gritted teeth.

Liara gained a shocked expression, "Goddess, I should have seen something like this coming."

"She wanted to know how I cheated. Tried to fight her off, but the two Krogan with her prevented me from taking a swing at her," John continued clenching his fist.

"You tried to what!?" Liara shouted. She then gripped him by his shoulders and looked at him directly in the eye. "John, do you have any idea what would have happened if you had actually landed a blow on her. Do you know what the penalty for a slave attacking someone of her stature would be?" She then took a deep breath, "I know this isn't what you want to hear John, but it was probably the best for you, that you were prevented from attacking her."

Shepard tensed his shoulders and narrowed his eyes slightly, "so what are you saying? That I have to lie down and take it?" Raising his voice more than he meant to.

"Dammit Jonathan! I know you find it horrible but it's…... It's…... It's just the way the galaxy is." Liara sounded like she wanted to vomit immediately after saying those words.

"Yeah" Shepard responded quietly lowering his head, before lying back down on the couch.

"Just focus on getting better, okay John." Liara told him while placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

Wrex quickly proceeded to finish his drink and say his goodbyes to everyone, before walking out of the apartment.

John rolled over onto his side with the intent of getting some rest, hoping that what happened to him yesterday was the pinnacle of his misfortunes for the near future.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Presidium Commons. Apollo Cafe.**

**Date: August 31st 2180**

**Time: 2000 CST**

He had been very wrong.

"Damn it," Shepard let out an extremely aggressive growl as he slammed his data pad onto the café's counter before holding his head in his hands.

Under any other circumstances Shepard would have loved to be in this café, he had accompanied Liara here a few times during his time on the Citadel, when she came to visit her father. He instantly hit it off with her father, her tough but gentle nature reminding him of his own mother. She even, out of the kindness of her heart, gave him several free meals. Unfortunately, he could only visit after the cafe had closed and all the other customers had gone, so as to make sure none of the other patrons would demand he be thrown out. Liara and Tali also allowed him to visit the cafe on his own when they were both working late and wouldn't be home for dinner, of course to do this he always had to wear the assignment badge, so he would not be harassed by C-sec for trying to escape. He didn't mind however the human food provided him with a nice reminder of home.

The reason for Shepard's anger was that for the entire week, since he had won the Kepesh-Yakshi tournament, he was being refused practically seconds after he applied for jobs.

He had received another message from his sister Liz yesterday, saying she had recieved the new bio amp he had bought with the prize money, thankfully his injuries had already healed up, so she didn't find out about the beating he received for winning. He knew his entire family was worried for his life and finding out about what had happened to him would only make them more desperate to find a way to bring him home. Unfortunately, the message only sought to remind him how much he missed his family, the constant rejection messages seemed to enforce the idea that his dream of buying his freedom and returning home, was exactly that.

"Things that bad kid?" Wrex asked, coming to sit next to Shepard at the counter.

"That squid bitch, Selarizia. This is gotta be her, just because I beat her in a fucking game." John growled while clenching his fists.

Atheyta came up to join them, attracted by Shepard's yelling, "Really wish Liara had told me you planed on doing something like that," she sighed. "Even if it wasn't T'nasir, no one would have taken being beaten by a human at such a high-end event lying down, if you'd told me I would have tried to convince you that the only thing you would get from that was an ass kicking. A lot of people think a human trying to be equal to them needs to be put in its place."

"So what?!" John practically yelled, "I just have to accept this. Accept my station as a slave, and I shouldn't try to change it otherwise I'll get killed."

Atheyta looks down and gave a deep sigh before looking Shepard in the eye again. "Kid it might be difficult, particularly for a human, to believe this, but in this galaxy, it ain't just your kind told not rise above your station, humans are just the ones that can be made an example of more publicly without any real consequences."

After a long pause Shepard lowered his head and placed his face in his hands again.

Wrex suddenly chimed in, "You know, after the pill of Pyjak shit that has been your week, what you really need is a drink."

John looked at Wrex and then gave him a sarcastic laugh, "yeah maybe you could just name a single bar on this goddamn station that will willingly serve a human slave a drink."

Atheyta looked at Wrex incredulously, "You're not thinking of taking him there Wrex. Liara and Tali are paranoid about letting him go out on his own."

Wrex waved her warning off, "Tell the girls I'll go with him and make sure he gets back home to them safely. After all this, the kid could really use some friendly company."

"And if some Xenophobes show up at his bar again?" the matriarch asked.

Wrex gave a grin, "Me and Casvus will send them crying back to their mothers, like the Varren they are."

Atheyta rolled her eyes', "alright, I'll let them know."

Wrex then got up and grabbed Shepard by his shoulder, "come on kid, let's get moving" he said as he proceeded to lightly drag Shepard out of the café.

"What?... Where are we going?" John tried to ask.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Zakera Ward. Drunken Pyjak.**

**Time: 2030 CST**

After a short cab ride, Jonathan walked with Wrex through several streets, before he finally found himself in front of a fairly small bar located in the back alleys of the Ward. It had a large holo-screen on the front projecting an image of a pijak swinging around a bottle of alcohol, fitting as the bar also had its name 'the drunken pyjak' written just under the picture in bright lights.

John gave Wrex a questioning look, "you're sure this place is friendly?"

Wrex nodded, "when Tali first came to the Citadel, there wasn't anywhere that would serve her a drink either, but then I took her to visit this place and he served her just like anyone else."

John followed Wrex as he entered the bar, it was pretty stereotypical in appearance. Small booths around the outer wall, a large bar taking up much of the front space, with a large array of drinks situated behind it. Standing behind the bar, was a Turian washing one of the glasses, he looked in their direction as he heard the door open and the smile spread across his face.

"Wrex, what brings your sorry old carcass to my establishment?" he asked in a friendly tone.

"Found someone else who needs to drown their troubles but can't be served anywhere on this Pyjak nest of a station."

The Turian turned his gaze to Shepard, "Casvus Victonis," he introduced himself holding out his hand.

John looked at it for a second unsure, before he proceeded to shake the Turian's hand, "John Shepard" he responded.

Casvus gained a thoughtful expression for a moment, before his eyes widened in realisation, "Shepard… heard from Tali that you saved her and her roommate's life."

"Liara saved my life, and I was always taught to repay my debts," Shepard replied.

"Not enough people like you left in the galaxy Shepard. You can have a drink on house, here I've actually got a few human beverages," he said ducking under the bar and pulling out a bottle.

He unscrewed the top poured it into a glass and handed it to Shepard.

Shepard numbly brought the glass up to his lips, and took a large gulp, pausing for a moment to enjoy the warm sensation of alcohol flowing down his throat.

"So… feel like getting anything off your chest kid?" Wrex asked giving John a gentle slap on the shoulder.

John wanted to yell about all of his problems for the entire Citadel to hear in that moment, but he looked at Wrex for a moment, and recalled all he'd read about the Krogan. Attacked with a bio-weapon, females giving birth to mountains of stillborn, simply left by the rest of the galaxy to wipe themselves out with their own savagery.

"I really don't think I need to yell about how fucked up and unfair the damn galaxy is to a Krogan," John said looking down.

Wrex gave a light chuckle, "That may be true, but getting it out will probably be healthier for ya,"

With consent seemingly given Shepard clenched his left fist," I was just trying to earn some credits, to help my sister, who is going to be enlisting in an army composed of a species, that almost completely hates us and sees us as only worthy to serve their every whim," Shepard started, his voice increasing in volume with every word he said.

"So I try to find a job like anyone would do, but of course it doesn't get me anywhere because no one in this screwed up galaxy wants to admit humans are worthy to be anything but slaves. Then I finally get a chance when I enter a tournament, and to the shock of everyone there, I actually win. But it turns out I stole the victory from some self-entitled squid bitch, so she has me beaten to within an inch my life and acts like it's her divine right to be able to kill me." John slammed his fist into the bar.

"And then, to really screw me over, she blacklisted me from getting any other kind of job… leaving me with practically no chance…. and no options," Shepard said, his voice dying down as he did.

"Feel better now?" Wrex asked.

"A little" John mumbled.

Casvus took a deep breath, "Look I know at the moment things seem hopeless, especially for a slave in your position, but you need to persevere, and something will come along."

John looked at him with a look that seemed to say, 'are you serious', but then his gaze was drawn to a picture positioned on the wall behind the bar, of a younger looking Casvus in a blue C-sec uniform standing next to another Turian.

"You used to be C-sec?" John asked pointing at the image.

Casvus gave the picture a sad look before turning back to Shepard, "that was another lifetime kid, in a different galaxy."

Suddenly his omni-tool to lit up and his face morphed into a scowl, "Spirits, those sons of bitches again."

Shepard heard footsteps coming from outside the bar and turned to look out of the large window to see several shapes belonging to various species headed in his direction.

"Mind giving me a hand with this Wrex?" Casvus asked in a joking manner.

"I guess, not like they'll be much of a challenge though," the Krogan responded, Wrex then turned to look at Shepard, "you stay here and don't leave, I promised those girls to get you back safe."

The Battlemaster and former C-sec officer walked out the bar, Shepard heard some loud yelling from the others outside, before they suddenly turned to screams as he assumed they began to have the shit beaten out of them by the duo.

"You say that you're looking for another option young man," Shepard jumped as he heard the rasping voice and quickly spun in its direction.

Seated in the corner of the bar was a Krogan, several things about this shocked Shepard, for one he was shocked he hadn't noticed this man when he entered the bar, also instead of the usual armour that every other Krogan seemed to wear, this Krogan was wearing what looked to be a formal business suit specifically designed for his species, and finally the sheer amount of wrinkles and faded colour of his plates, meant that this person was ancient even by Krogan standards.

"Anyone ever tell you that eavesdropping is kinda rude," Shepard responded, slightly unsure of his new acquaintance.

The Krogan gave a small light-hearted chuckle before he proceeded to stand up and walk towards Shepard, his slow pace and seemingly stiff joints only seemed to enforce Shepard's guess of his age. "If you didn't want people listening in on your conversation lad, you shouldn't have been yelling it so they could hear you on Tuchanka."

"True," Shepard admitted.

"Still if what I overheard from you is correct, it would seem that you went against the rules and are now being forced to pay a terrible price."

"And let me guess you think you have something that could help me," Shepard responded in a dry tone as he took another swig of his drink.

"Indeed, I do my young friend. You cannot play against people who have the entire system rigged in their favour, you're only setting yourself up to lose. In order for you to be victorious, you must compete in a place where the rules do not exist, where you cannot be punished for winning," he explained with a smile.

_This guy could probably win an award for scariest salesman. _Shepard thought.

"And where the hell is a place where there are no rules in the heart of Citadel space?" Shepard asked.

"I'm sure that someone who's been on the Citadel as long as you, has heard of the Pit by now."

Shepard's blood froze at that, the Pit was the infamous gladiatorial arena that had been set up on the Citadel, he'd even overheard a few times that his old tormentor Balak had competed in matches. It was a place where the order of the day was death matches, of course that was being generous. The champion fighters didn't fight each other, they fought barely trained humans, who had been bought from the market specifically so they could be slaughtered by experienced fighters to provide entertainment for the crowds. It was located in a section of the lower wards that C-sec never seemed to enter and thus it seemed to have no semblance of law or order.

By all Citadel laws the existence of such a place outside Batarian space should be illegal, but most officials on the Citadel seem to deny that it even existed, and no one seem to want to expend the effort and manpower that would be required to shut it down, of course the reason for that was simple, only humans suffered because of it.

Shepard gave the Krogan a hard stare, "So that's your idea, I get slaughtered by some psychopath, and you make some credits from betting on him," he said harshly.

"Oh no no no my friend, I actually think you could be a champion yourself in that place," the elderly Krogan responded not seeming to take any offence to what Shepard said.

"What makes you think that?" John asked suspiciously.

"It wouldn't be the first time you've come out the victor in a battle against seemingly suicidal odds." The Krogan then activated his omni-tool and showed a video that was very familiar to Shepard.

It was the security footage from the clinic on the day he had thwarted the robbery, it was strange seeing himself from this perspective, when it was happening everything seemed to pass in a blur, but now that he was looking at it he was shocked at his reflexes, speed…. and ruthlessness. He had killed Batarians armed with guns, with nothing more than a scalpel.

Shepard looked down, "I'm not exactly sure how I did any of that," he said uncertainty clear in his voice.

"Well we won't get you thrown into a fight tomorrow, we can take some time and try and reawaken this fighting spirit of yours." The Krogan replied, his lack of concern quite unnerved Shepard.

"How did you get that footage anyway? C-sec really tried to cover up everything that happened there?" Shepard asked.

"A man of my age has learned to make several, 'investments' in areas of importance." The Krogan responded vaguely.

"I'm not really sure I want to kill someone just to make some credits," Shepard said, his father had always taught him that killing to defend yourself or your family was something, that while horrible had to be done, but killing to get rich only took a man down a very dark path.

"Well that can easily be settled my boy, it is the decision of the victor, whether the loser dies or not. So when you win your fight, you can simply choose not to kill your opponent."

"I'm not sure," Shepard said in an almost inaudible tone.

The Krogan looked at him, "Of course, expecting you to make a decision about something as large as this on the spot is quite ridiculous. Here is my contact information." He then typed some keys on his omni-tool. Shepard's lit up in response showing he'd received the message.

The Krogan then made his way to the door, before he walked out he quickly looked back at Shepard "You said it yourself, you wanted another option, this is it."

"Wait" Shepard called after him, "What's your name."

"Thrax." The Krogan responded, he then resumed walking towards the door.

John gave a deep exhale.

_I tried to do this by the laws of the Citadel, but he's right, they're completely set against any human being able to get his freedom. Even if by some miracle I manage it, I'll be Wrex's age before I can go home._

_But having to resort to killing to entertain some sick crowd…. my family would be sick at the idea, they're already worried enough about me as it is…Tali and Liara would never approve of me risking my life to pay them back._

John quickly racked his brain trying to come up with some of alternative solution to his dilemma.

_They won't have to know…... I can just win a few fights…... I don't need to kill my opponent…. I can just earn a good amount of credits and go home…. None of them will ever need to know I did this._

Concluding his internal debate Shepard steeled himself and turned towards Thrax. "Wait," he called out, he could have sworn he saw smile appear in the corners of the Krogan's mouth, "I'll look into this, if I see anything I don't like, I'll walk."

"Of course, I'm not your master." He then activated his Omni-tool, "send an application to this job tomorrow, it will register you to work in a salvage yard. Which won't be a total lie as I do own one. Either way, I get the feeling this will be a very profitable venture."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Presidium financial district. Consort's Chambers.**

**Time: 2040 CST**

Sha'ira collapsed to the floor, sweat running down her face from great exertion. She shakily pushed herself back up to her feet, and re-deposited herself in a nearby chair. Taking deep breaths, she tried to regain her breath.

Miranda quickly came running up to her and knelt at her side to be level with the matriarch.

"You're having to suppress it more and more. You can't keep going at this rate," Miranda said panic evident in her tone.

"You know that it is not a matter of, if I can do it Miranda," Sha'ira paused to try and regain her energy, "it is a matter of I must do it. He must not awaken it yet."

"I know that," Miranda admitted, "but at this rate, your efforts to stop it are going to get you killed if you keep having to stop it at such frequent intervals. How much longer do you think you'll be able to?"

The Consort's head fell, "I fear my dear girl, that the time will soon be upon us, where I will have to let him channel it, or he will die."


	13. Chapter 13: Preperation

**A/N: **_Italics_ indicate internal thought.

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to suggestions and constructive criticism.

Also, maybe someone can help me I can't really tell if armour in mass effect universe is metal or some super advanced polymer. Can anybody give me an answer?

* * *

**Preparation**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Zakera Ward Free Clinic**

**Date: 1st September 2180**

**Time: 1200 CST**

Shepard was seated on one of the examination tables, Liara stood off to the side, while Dr Solus performed a medical check up on him. Of course, Shepard's thoughts weren't on any of that, he was preoccupied with what happened last night at the Drunken Pyjak. He wasn't sure what had unnerved him more, Thrax himself, or the fact that he was considering the idea of fighting as a gladiator. He tried to rationalise it by reminding himself that he hadn't made any guarantees to fight, but he had still applied for Thrax's job as instructed.

"Test complete. No long-lasting neural damage. Concussion healing nicely. Negligible loss to cognitive functions. Recommendation; do not anger anyone and remove risk of possible repetition." Mordin said firing off at a hundred words per minute as usual.

The Salarian turned to Liara, "Performed your own examination Liara. Judgement was accurate. Unsure why you needed a second opinion."

"I am sorry Doctor, I was just very angry when I saw what had happened to John, and I was worried I had missed something." Liara looked away slightly, possibly out of embarrassment.

"Self-criticism unneeded. Almost fully credited Doctor. Should trust own judgement." Mordin responded, as he deactivated the Machines.

"Thank you Mordin, for taking time out of your schedule to help us with this." Liara said giving Mordin a small bow.

"Yeah, thanks Doctor," John said appreciatively, he knew how much Liara idolised the Salarian.

"You know when I first saw you in Huerta Memorial, I had a nagging suspicion your smart mouth would end up bringing you back to the hospital again sooner or later," the voice of Dr Karin Chakwas was heard as she walked into the room.

"I'll have you know old woman, it was my smart brain, not my smart mouth that got me here." Shepard tried to respond to her in his usual snarky tone, but it came out drier than he wanted.

Chakwas gave a small laugh, "yes people all over the Citadel saw your superior brain at work."

Suddenly Shepard's data-pad started flashing, from the table where he had set it down before the check-up had started.

Liara quickly went over and began reading the message he just received. Shepard gulped internally, he was hoping beyond anything that his luck had finally changed and one of the other jobs he had applied to was responding.

He saw Liara's face light up, "John one of the jobs you've applied for has agreed to take you. It's someplace called..." Liara paused to read the company name, "Dravo salvage yard, located in Tayseri Ward…Hmm, this job possibly requires you to work night shifts." She said the last part with a great deal of uncertainty.

John stood up, "I don't see how that's problem Liara," he asked.

Liara looked at him in a deadpan tone, "I'm sorry John, I am just worried about something else happening to you."

John gave her a small smile, "I know, and I really appreciate that you are looking out for me. But please Liara, I can't just sit in the apartment all day, I need to find some way to help you guys."

Liara looked away for a second considering what he said, "Alright. But if you come back with even one injury you will stop working there."

"Thanks Liara," Shepard said gratefully.

Suddenly, Liara got a message on her omni-tool, after reading it she turned a strong shade of violet.

Noticing this Karin asked in a teasing manner, "what good news did you get?"

Liara stuttered for a bit as she tried to come up with the correct words, "Well it seems Anto will be arriving on the Citadel again soon, and he's asked if I would like to go on another date with him."

Chakwas' playful smirk was clear for all to see, "Well are you? You certainly seemed to enjoy yourself last time."

"Karin please leave her alone. Tormented her enough." Mordin cut in, although he seemed to be getting just as much amusement out of Liara's discomfort.

"Well yes, but this time I would have to come up with a suggestion of where to go." Liara remarked slightly nervous.

"Why not try that place 'Chora's Den', I'm sure someone like him will love it there," Shepard tried to hide it but he couldn't mask the clear hostility in his voice.

Karin looked at him disapprovingly, "no need to be so aggressive young man."

Shepard gave her a hard stare.

_Does she seriously expect me to be happy when the son of a bitch that tore me from my home is mentioned._

Liara seemingly understanding his hostility quickly tried to diffuse the situation, "I'm sorry John, I know that he's a not a pleasant issue for you."

"Anyway, must return to scheduled rounds. Many patients to see. Many people to help. Come on Karin. Much to do." Mordin said, with that everyone awkwardly left the examination room.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Tayseri Ward, Dravo salvage yard**

**Date: 2nd September 2180**

**Time: 0830 CST**

John had successfully been able to get himself to the salvage yard without incident, he walked through the front gate and now found himself in what, from the outside at least, appeared to be the main office building.

Thrax was there waiting for him, "excellent you've arrived. Now let's proceed with a test of your fighting abilities. I want to see if your actually worth investing in." John was once again unnerved in the presence of the old Krogan. His seemingly joyous expression seemed to clash strongly with his dead looking eyes.

Nevertheless, John followed him downstairs, into a sub level of the building.

"Here put this on." Thrax said while throwing a strange suit at him.

John unfurled it to get a better look. It was a simple black skin-tight suit. The odd thing was that there were several discs positioned all over it. "Can I ask what that this is for?" John asked still very uncertain about this whole ordeal.

"It will help me gather data about your fighting style…. And provide other functions." Thrax responded, he then directed Shepard through a door.

Shepard looked around, it was a wide-open room with no visible windows, the walls consisted of white panels separated by translucent pillars. If he was to guess, he would say it was about the same size as his family's barn. However, he could see several camera like devices positioned in the corners of the ceiling.

"Can you hear me down there?" Thrax's voice echoed from speakers around the room. Looking behind him, John saw Thrax behind a screen, in what looked like a viewing box, standing over a control panel.

"Yeah," Shepard responded.

"Good, then let's begin." Thrax pressed several buttons and the pillars lit up and beams shot out of the projectors, and created an orange holographic Batarian in front of Shepard.

John raised an eyebrow at the site before him, "this is the same technology as Armax Arsenal Arena," he said.

"Correct," Thrax responded, "first I want to see how effective you are at unarmed combat. Currently this is the easiest setting, I shall be increasing the frequency and strength of opponents as you progress. Then we shall see how good you are with a weapon. There are no guns used in the Pit, the audience consider them too quick and boring, but you strike me as someone who would be very effective with a mealy weapon. Now Begin."

The holographic Batarian entered a fighting stance, and John quickly did the same. His opponent quickly lunged forward and tried to land a right hook on him. John quickly reacted by leaning backwards and letting the punch pass in front of him before moving forward and landing a right jab straight into the holograms face. As the blow landed, the holographic opponent shattered. Shepard momentarily looked down at his fist.

_That felt very weird, I didn't actually hit anything solid._

Distracted by this, John failed to notice another holographic opponent generated behind him. He saw the new hologram lunge at him out of the corner of his eye, and quickly spun around and raised his left arm to block what he assumed was a punch.

Unfortunately for him, this new opponent was a Turian, and instead of swinging a punch at him, this hologram was using his talons. As the holographic talons hit his arm, he saw the disc on his left forearm light up, and then he felt an agonising electric shock, causing him to jump back and grab his left arm.

"If that were a real Turian he would have sliced into your arm," Thrax said from his viewing box.

"What's that shock?" Shepard asked in a hostile manner.

The Krogan looked at him with a smile, "if you want to make it anywhere in the Pit, your going to need a hell of a pain tolerance my friend."

Shepard gritted his teeth and regained his fighting stance. The holographic Turian lunged at him again with his talons'. Shepard ducked, letting the swing pass over his head, and launched a powerful uppercut into the Turian's chin.

He looked up at Thrax and practically yelled, "crank it up, because I can do this all day." The Krogan spectator merely smiled in response.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Tayseri Ward, Dravo salvage yard**

**Time: 1800 CST**

Shepard drove his combat knife into the forehead of an Asari hologram, he had to be careful not to over exert himself and send himself flying forward due to the lack of physical resistance.

As the hologram shattered he drew back panting heavily, he had sweat pouring down his face and every part of him hurt, either from fatigue or electric shocks.

He knew he didn't have any time to rest though, he quickly turned in the direction of the next opponent, a Salarian.

_They're lightweight, so they go for fast and precise strikes. _John thought trying to come up with a plan.

The hologram moved towards him, thinking fast, he shoulder checked the Salarian right in the chest. Even though it was just hologram and his shoulder had passed through it, they were still programmed to respond to impacts. So, it stumbled backwards uncoordinated, not giving it time to recover, he grabbed the Salarian by the shoulder, and drove his knife directly where the heart would be.

Then a hologram of a large Krogan appeared and charged at him.

_Krogan are strong, and can be fast if they want to be, but they don't have the best reflexes. They're also heavy, so use their weight against them._

Shepard ran directly at the Krogan, but just as they were about to collide he shifted into a slide and swung his leg out, tripping the Krogan. This sent the Behemoth stumbling forward, pressing his advantage, John sprang to his feet and jumped onto the Krogan's back, he then slashed his knife across his opponent's throat, and once again the hologram shattered.

Shepard got back up to his feet and looked around expecting another opponent, but instead he saw the pillars dimming. "That's enough for today. Grab a shower and meet me back up here," Thrax said.

Wiping away the sweat that had built up on his forehead, John walked out of the simulator.

After a quick shower, and changing back into his regular clothes, John walked up to Thrax, who was standing in the centre of the salvage yard. The old Krogan had an amused look on his wrinkled face.

"You've definitely got some impressive talent young man," the Krogan said.

"Holograms aren't a good training method, when you try to punch an opponent you don't just pass through them. We need to come up with a training method that will get me used to physically grappling with someone," Shepard recommended, ignoring the complement.

Thrax nodded in agreement," of course, of course. Today was just to see whether you were worth expending effort on my part. I have a number of reprogrammed mechs that we can use in your training. Still though, I have to know where did you acquire such skills?" he asked.

John looked away for a second contemplating how to answer, "my parents, they were both pretty high up in the military back in the day, so they ended up teaching me how to defend myself." He then gave a small laugh, "they never wanted me to go looking for fights though."

"Well I must admit that logic is quite confusing. Why would teach you how to fight and then deny you from fighting?" Thrax said tapping his finger against his chin.

"Thrax," John said with as much confidence as he could muster, "if I'm going to fight for you, then there are a few details we need to hash out first."

"You seem to forget my young friend, that you are also fighting so you can buy your freedom, you are fighting for yourself much more than you are fighting for me," Thrax responded, "what details do we need to confirm then?"

John looked down for a second, a guilty expression evident on his face, "Liara and Tali, my masters, they would… They would never approve of me risking my life like this to try and pay them back. So, we need to keep this entire thing a secret from them… and the first part of that means we have to hide the credits I earn from doing this."

Thrax looked at Shepard for a second dumbfounded, and then suddenly burst out laughing, "do you really think that you're the only one who is going to want their transactions to remain discreet," he regained his composure before continuing, "I know several ways, all legal I assure you," he added quickly, "to move the credits to an account while remaining completely unnoticed."

The old Krogan looked away and narrowed his eyes slightly, "although your masters would certainly have questions if they saw the huge amount in their account."

Shepard looked at Thrax for a second before he sighed and said, "actually, Liara set up an account for me."

Thrax looked at the human surprised.

John elaborated, "yeah by all legal rights it is her account and she can access it, but she set it up so I would have somewhere to keep any credits I earned. I've still got three-thousand credits from the tournament."

"Well then that settles where to deposit your winnings. As for explaining where you will be during the fights, that is why I made the recommendation on the advertisement of night shifts."

"So that I can say I volunteered for a nightshift at the salvage yard, when I'm actually gonna be competing in a fight," Shepard concluded.

"Precisely."

Shepard looked at the Krogan and folded his arms, "you haven't explained exactly how we're going to make the credits. I obviously can't bet on myself."

"You do not need to be so suspicious my young friend. The procedure is a simple one, I shall arrange the fights for you, and bet a sum of credits on your victory. I have gambled in the Pit a number of times before, so I know that the odds of a human coming out victorious are very small, therefore even betting a small amount will provide us with vast amounts of winnings. Then we will split the proceeds between us, Sixty: Forty to you."

Shepard looked to him for a second before nodding, "yeah I think I'm okay with that."

Shepard then continued, "Also I know the kind of people that watch and bet on Pit fights, I don't want to put either of them in danger because I won a match and lost someone a fortune and they come looking for me to get even and take it out on Tali and Liara."

"Of course, I swear to you that I will do everything I can to ensure you are not identified by anyone there. But in turn you will have to ensure you do not attract attention to yourself until you are entering the arena, you must ensure you are unnoticed while we travel to the pit. And on that front, we shall need to provide you suitable equipment."

"Meaning...?" Shepard asked.

"Well obviously the most sure-fire way to prevent someone from identifying you, and thus your masters, is to mask your face. In addition, if you are to have even a remote chance of being victorious in a fight you will need some suitable armour. Something that is sadly not so easy to procure." Thrax said.

Shepard took this time to look around at his surroundings, this wasn't exactly a garbage dump, the yard was filled with wrecked sky-cars, broken machinery and he even thought he saw a discarded fighter, essentially anything that could have useful components had been dumped here. As chance would have it something caught his eye among the refuse, he walked towards it, knelt down and cleared away a few discarded tablets before pulling it clear of the pile.

It was a piece of torso armour. Shepard could immediately see all the cracks in the plating, and some plates were missing entirely, and even if it were brand-new John could tell it was pretty bad quality armour. He came to the assumption that this belonged to some Batarian mercenary who had discarded it after too much damage, however the sight of it caused an idea to spark in his mind, and a grin to spread across his face.

"You say I need a suit for protection, do people regularly dump pieces of armour here?" Jonathan asked.

"Yes, but you would have to dig through all this to find what you need," Thrax said gesturing to the massive piles of junk around them.

"Then I think I have an idea."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Tayseri Ward, Dravo salvage yard**

**Date: 16th September 2180**

**Time: 1000 CST**

Shepard was seated at a bench inside a decent sized room about the same size as the garage in Tali and Liara's apartment. Thrax had allowed John to use it as a makeshift workshop to build his equipment, and his work was almost complete.

He looked at the piece of metal he was holding in his hand giving it a quick once over, before activating his omni-tool and using it chip away a small piece of material from it. He turned his omni-tool off again and looked at the piece he was holding, he gave a smile of satisfaction.

He then stood up and turned slightly to his left, standing there was the complete set of armour that he would use in the Pit fights.

It had not been an easy process to make, first he had to find discarded pieces of armour to use as a base, he'd even had to replace three of the fingers on the gauntlets from scratch using spare fabric. The next challenge he had was reinforcing the armour plating, he didn't have access to any of the manufacturing techniques that were used to make military armour, and even so that armour was more designed to stop high velocity slugs, not mealy weapons. It had been hours of scrounging but he was able to find enough scrap metal for plating. For the most part he had used Aluminium alloys so that the armour would not be too heavy to move around in. It had been a long process of cutting down pieces to the right size, fusing scrap pieces together and then fixing the plates to the base. Shepard's biggest worry was fixing the armour so it would actually protect him, the aluminium alloy he had been using would protect him from glancing blows, but any direct attack with a blade would slice right through it. To compensate for this, he had used scraps of palladium to provide a framework for the chest and shoulder armour, then he welded the plates on it, to provide extra protection. He had also used small bits of palladium to make knuckle studs, so as to provide his punches with a bit more of a sting. Overall the armour had dull grey-metallic coloured plates covering most of the areas, with the black fabric visible at the joints. It didn't look overly bulky but it still gave the wearer a heavier look, the suit also had clear evidence of being a makeshift job, as welding seams were visible on the plates.

In his hand he was holding the final piece of his armour, the faceplate. By some miracle he had found a small safe in the salvage yard and he had been able to fabricate a sizeable palladium plate from it.

He held the faceplate up to where it would rest on the armour, it was a similar dull grey colour, with two slots for eyes, that were covered on the underside by a clear material he had taken from a sky car window. Its overall appearance was of the upper jaw of a large fanged mouth, with two massive fangs that would rest on the chin of the suit.

He positioned the faceplate onto the helmet, and began inserting the bolts on either side of the head, this was so that the faceplate could be lowered and raised. He also worked a small magnetic locking system into the jaw, so that the faceplate would not fly open from a lucky blow and he could release it with button positioned under the jaw.

"Well, well, very impressive Shepard," John turned around to see Thrax walking towards him, the Krogan walked up to the suit and looked it over, before turning to Shepard with a smile, "you are not only gifted in ways of battle, but in the ways of building too."

Shepard didn't respond, two weeks working here had done nothing to reduce the unnerving feeling the old Krogan gave him.

Thrax then turned to face Shepard, "you have a good amount of skill, and now you have the equipment, but there is one more thing I believe you need before you step into the arena."

"And what's that?" Shepard asked.

"Experience of what fighting in the Pit is truly like," the Krogan responded in a very grim tone, "there is a fight happening tonight and we shall be attending as spectators."

He then looked Shepard directly in his eyes, "I'm going to warn you right now Jonathan, the place we are going it is not for the faint of heart."

Shepard looked down, thinking for a second before he steeling himself, "I'm not afraid Thrax."

_I'm prepared for anything_

The Krogan gave him a disbelieving look, "We shall see. Return home for now and tell your masters that I requested you for a night shift."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, The Pit**

**Date: 16th September 2180**

**Time: 2200 CST**

John was walking down the street, it was so dark that he struggled to believe that the lights of the Citadels day cycle ever reached these streets.

Convincing Liara to let him work one of the night shifts had been difficult, but after reminding her that he'd worked two weeks at the salvage yard without incident she agreed to let him go.

He had met up with Thrax and they had used his skycar to get down to the lower wards, as per Thrax instructions he was wearing a jacket with a hood up, to mask his face. Thrax informed him this was to ensure nobody would find out who he was, or who owned him.

"And here, is our destination." Thrax said pointing to the large Coliseum structure they were standing outside of. By John's estimates it was the same size as a large football stadium, and he could hear the cheers coming from it. Thrax looked back at him, "Well let's proceed. You need to know what you're getting yourself into."

As they walked inside John believed he was right to compare this place to a football stadium, there were pieces of trash all over the floor and there was an unbearable stench emanating from everywhere, it was obvious this place was minimally maintained.

"This is the public entrance, where most of the rabble enters," Thrax explained, "on the upper level there is an entrance for the more high-class people who come to enjoy this spectacle, and also where the champion competitors prepare." His expression turned grim as he looked Shepard in the eye, "and below is the sub level where the new comers enter, as well as slaves meant to fight on their master's behalf."

The old Krogan looked away again as he asked, "You have memorised your entry and exit routes, correct?"

"Yes." John said, "I show them your authorisation and they will let me in…" John trailed off as he thought about it," are you sure you don't need to be there with me?" he asked.

"No, many patrons buy humans for them to be used as entertainment in this place, but reputation is everything here, therefore none of them would like to be directly associated with the humans. I assure you none of the guards will question it when you walk up to the entrance. It is the exit you should concern yourself with."

"I memorised it, an emergency passage that will take me out into a back alley, were I'll be able to meet up with you without having to exit the way I came in and avoid running into anyone."

"Good, when you're inside you will be provided with a small room where you can put your suit on, they are only equipped to prevent you from leaving, there is no monitoring system, so there is no risk of compromising your identity, then you will make your way to the arena gate," the Krogan said.

John followed Thrax until they came out in the spectator area, he was almost deafened by the roars of the massive crowd, made up of all races, yelling down at the arena positioned in the centre. Looking above he could make out glass booths with people inside them. Unlike the mob he was currently standing amongst, they were all dressed in fine clothes and drinking high-class alcohol, while being served refreshments that belonged more to a dignified dinner party.

There were also four large screens positioned around the stands, John guessed that they were to provide a close-up view of the fight to the spectators. The arena itself was an oval shape about the same size as a wrestling ring and there were two sets of doors at opposite ends of the field.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," a deafening voice echoed throughout the arena and the screens lit up to show the image of an Asari, "THE NEXT FIGHT IS ABOUT TO BEGIN."

Thrax leaned towards Shepard, "That is Dahlia Dantius, she's the woman who runs this place, and she is extremely dangerous," he said.

"TONIGHT EVERYBODY, IF YOU WANTED TO SEE BLOOD THEN YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE," as she was talking, one of the sets of doors began to open and scrawny human walked out. Shepard could tell, even at first glance, that the armour this guy was wearing was pretty shitty and looked like it was about to fall apart any second and the blade he was carrying was rusty and bent.

"HERE HE IS FOLKS, THE BARON OF BLOODBATHS, THE LORD OF GORE: TULLRIUS 'RAZOR FIST' RECETION," as the second set of doors opened, two spotlights activated and illuminated the Turian, who began waving to the masses of people whose cheering immediately intensified at the sight of him.

Shepard observed the man as he walked towards the arena, in contrast to the human, Tullrius' armour looked military grade, although heavily modified to express his own style. What caught John's eye though, was probably what had earned him that nickname, over each of his hands he wore a pair of massive gauntlets, with large blades extending over his natural talons'.

"BETTING IS STILL OPEN MY FRIENDS," Dahlia's voice once again rang across the stadium and the screen changed to show a table, with what Shepard assumed were odds connected to various numbers, five, ten, fifteen, the list went on. He observed many of the other spectators suddenly activate their omni-tools and deposit and make bets.

_Those odds…. Those aren't the odds of the human winning, they're the odds of how many minutes he'll last_, John thought coming to the horrible conclusion.

As the competitors stepped into the arena, walls came out of the ground, reaching about two meters in height, and effectively creating a barrier around the two combatants.

A klaxon then sounded signifying the start of the fight, the human lunged desperately at Razor Fist, and swung his blade down. Razor Fist, with an almost bored expression on his face, sidestepped out of the path of the blade while twisting his body towards the now outstretched arm. He then swung one of his clawed gauntlets upwards.

The human let out a terrifying scream of pain as he dropped his sword and clutched his now profusely bleeding arm. John was shocked, whatever those claws were made out of, they had cut through the human's armour like nothing.

The human tried to back away from his Turian tormentor, but he was too late as the Turian lunged forward and slashed at human's thigh, blood dripping from his clawed gauntlets. The human fell onto his back screaming as blood began to pour down his leg.

Razor Fist then began to walk forward at an almost leisurely pace, then he kneeled down and tore off the human's chest plate. The Turian paused for a moment to look back up at the crowd as if asking them what he should do. The response was a deafening chant of "Kill, kill, kill." In a slow and deliberate motion Razor Fist drew one of his claws across the human's chest creating a large gash across it, all the while the human was screaming in pain.

Shepard was shocked beyond belief. How could people do this? How could people enjoy this? The Turian just kept cutting more and more into the human's flesh as if it was some sick game, completely ignoring the cries.

_This…. This place… how can this scum pretend to be a part of a civilised species. The sight of this place…. This is making me physically ill._

Shepard focused all his efforts into keeping the bile, that threatened to rise up out of his mouth, down.

Noticing his horrified demeanour, the old Krogan leaned towards him, "Nasty site isn't it. A lot of the galaxy like to pretend this doesn't happen so they can delude themselves into thinking they're benevolent masters. But here…" he gestured around, "they are brutally honest about it."

Then John's shock gave way to something else….. Anger.

"You think your ready to fight people like that?" Thrax asked.

John could only grit his teeth.


	14. Chapter 14: Awakening

**A/N: **_Italics_ indicate internal thought.

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

To answer reviews:

**Mandrake109: **Thanks for the info, this will be helpful later on

**Endrius: **Thanks, I've made the correction. Also I got Aluminium from the Mass effect wiki, I thought it was a good choice for making an armour from scrap.

* * *

**Awakening**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, The Pit**

**Date: 18th September 2180**

**Time: 2100 CST**

John took a deep breath in a feeble attempt to calm his racing heart. Wearing his armour and he was standing in front of a pair of massive doors, the same doors he had seen from the other side two days ago, the entrance into the arena.

Shepard was putting all of his conscious effort into keeping himself relaxed and focused, but each second was another second fewer until the doors opened, and with each second his anxiety increased.

He almost felt his heart stop as the doors slowly began to creep open and his ears were assaulted by the massive cheers of the mob watching him. He composed himself and began to slowly walk forward into the centre of the arena, giving a quick glance around at the massive crowd that had gathered.

_Wonder how many of them have bet that I'll last five minutes_

As he stepped inside the perimeter, the voice of Dantius was amplified throughout the stadium, "HERE IS THE MAN YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. THE ARCHON OF AGONY. RAAAAAZOR FIST." The doors opposite John opened, and spotlights fixed themselves on the Turian. The roar of the crowd intensified as Shepard's opponent began to walk forward, taking his time to wave to all the spectators as he did so. John could already hear cries of, "Kill this ape," from the crowd.

Shepard knew that letting the cries of these sadistic bastards get to him would only place him at a serious disadvantage in the fight. So, he cleared his mind, and slowly began to filter out all the distractions, until the only thing he could hear was the footsteps of Razor Fist, as the Turian walked towards him.

Razor Fist stopped just three meters short of Shepard, and quickly lifted his massive bladed gauntlets in front of him as some kind of intimidation tactic. "Seems your master actually invested a bit in you, probably hoping you'll last long enough to earn him some credits," the Turian taunted. John responded by giving him a hard stare, although none could see it behind his helmet, and proceeded to enter a fighting stance. Razor Fist gave a small chuckle as he did the same, spreading his talons out, readying them to tear this human apart.

Shepard took several deep breaths to calm himself and maintain focus. This is what all his training and preparation had been about, all he had to do was watch out for the talon blades and he could win this fight. He theorised that the only other humans Razor Fist had fought, didn't have any decent training or skill when it came to fighting, so he would underestimate him, and Shepard could use that to his advantage.

The klaxon sounded.

Tullrius moved first and launched a right swipe at John, responding quickly Shepard leaned to his left letting the swipe pass by the right side of his face. John had spent all of yesterday, watching illegal vid recordings of Razor-Fist's fights, to try and learn about his opponent. John had actually been able to find a 'tell' in the Turian's fighting style, Tullrius tensed his shoulders for a fraction of a second before attacking, and that gave Shepard just enough time to see the attack coming and hopefully counter it.

Without missing a beat Tullrius swiped with his left hand, John dodged the attack again by leaning in the opposite direction. The Turian then slashed upwards hoping to catch the human in the throat. John responded by leaning his body backwards, and letting the bladed talons miss his chin by a few inches. The human's evasion caused Tullrius to get increasingly more frustrated, he prided himself on being able to draw blood with the first blow. He made another swing with his left hand, seeing an opening John ducked underneath the swipe. Just as the Turian's arm and passed over his head, he reached up and grabbed the Turian's outstretched wrist with his left hand, he then quickly followed up by delivering a right hook into the side of Tullrius' face.

The blow sent Razor-Fist twisting away several feet. The Turian took a few steps to regain his balance, then he leaned over slightly and spat out a small glob of blue blood. He stared at his own blood for a second, seemingly in shock, before turning around to face the human again. He brought his talon up to his cheek, which was now supporting four cuts courtesy of John's gauntlets, and wiped some of the blood away. Tullrius' hand trembled for a second as he observed the blood now covering it, his blood, this human had actually injured him first. John saw an almost unquenchable rage enter the Turian's eyes.

He pointed an accusing finger at Shepard, "you… you… You're gonna pay dearly for this you worthless human filth," he yelled with uncontrolled anger.

He charged at Shepard like an enraged animal, unleashing an unrelenting flurry of swipes and slashes in a demented attempt to make the human pay for this insult.

First Shepard sidestepped to the left to dodge a downward swipe, then he leaned right to dodge another swipe from Tullrius' left. He then ducked as another attempted slash passed overhead, he leaned to the left to dodge another slash. He then quickly took several steps backwards, each step just a second ahead of one of the Turian's furious attacks. Somehow despite Tullrius' relentless assault, John was able to evade all of the attacks unhurt, and now he could see, that by expending his energy fruitlessly, his opponent had become sloppier.

_I keep this up, he'll tire out before me, that'll give me the advantage_

Tullrius attempted another swipe at Shepard's left, John quickly used his forearm to block the Turian's own, avoiding the bladed talons. Then he launched a powerful punch directly into the Turian's chest.

However instead of staggering back as Shepard hoped, Tullrius merely grunted in mild pain, before attempting another swipe. Realising his mistake, John quickly leapt back, but not before a deafening screech, reached his ears.

Looking down his chest, Shepard's breath caught in his throat as he saw the pair of massive gashes now running along his chest plate. The Turian's talents had torn right through his armour, by some miracle they hadn't actually cut his flesh.

"All the blood on the ground is still yours Turian," Shepherd said with a weak chuckle, while retreating from his opponent. _When I've earned some credits from these fights, I need to ask Thrax how these gladiators make their armour. And those blades, how the hell did he get them that Sharp._

Tullrius gave a loud yell of anger, and then charged at Shepard like a rabid dog. Shepard prepared himself and waited as the Turian got closer. When Tullrius was just out of arms reach, Shepard twisted around and launched a powerful kick directly into his opponent's chest. Unlike the punch this sent Tullrius flying onto his back.

The champion quickly pushed himself back up to his feet and faced his human opponent, unfortunately Tullrius could not hide his heavy panting.

Behind his helmet Shepard grinned, if he could just land a couple more good hits then this match would be his. He moved towards Tullrius at a quick pace, the Turian tried a feeble swipe with his right hand, but it was so slow Shepard was easily able to catch the wrist. John then delivered a powerful punch directly into the Turian's face, the blow sent Tullrius' head back, and John studied knuckles produce several more cuts. John was so focused on this he didn't feel a tiny prick in the palm of his hand. He launched another punch into the Turian's face, and with the third punch he finally released Tullrius, letting him fall on his back.

John took several steps back hoping that the Turian would actually stay down. That hope was dashed unfortunately as Tullrius began to push himself to his feet again. Shepard re-entered his fighting position.

And that's when he knew something was very wrong.

Suddenly it felt like a huge effort just to keep his arms raised, or even to keep himself standing. He began to feel nauseous, and that every inch of the skin was shifting between freezing and boiling. He tried to focus on his opponent, but his vision was becoming blurred, and he was starting to see double or triple of Tullrius.

The Sadistic gladiator gave a wicked smile at the sight, he then quickly dashed forward, preparing his talons as he did so. John desperately tried to deliver a left hook to Tullrius as he came closer, but his moves and reflexes had become too sluggish. The Turian dodged around the human's pitiful attack, and swiped with his blades.

John screamed through gritted teeth as his left side exploded in pain. He quickly clutched over the wound with his right hand as blood began to seep through his fingers and drip onto the ground. This in addition to Shepard's weakening condition sent him falling to his hands and knees. Tullrius walked over at a leisurely pace before kneeling down in front of Shepard, he grabbed the human's head and twisted it to face him. This provided Shepard with a good view of the sadistic smile etched into the Turian's face.

"Did you really think that I would allow myself to be defeated by a piece of shit like you?" He whispered quietly in Shepard's ear. He brought up his right hand and that's when John saw it. It was a small needle protruding from the back of Tullrius' gauntlet, almost invisible. "I'm actually sorry this poison is going to kill you so soon. After the insult you dealt me today, I was looking forward to making you suffer. But sadly, I've got to hurry up and make it look like I killed you with my blades."

Tullrius stood back up and slashed Shepard's right shoulder. Shepard fell onto his chest as he yelled, he didn't have the power to reach for the wound, he'd already been robbed of most of his strength by the poison.

He twisted his head to look at his opponent. The Turian raised his foot and was about to stamp on him.

_This can be it. This can be how I die. _

Then darkness consumed his vision

* * *

**000**

* * *

_He was back here once again. but it felt different this time. It felt more real._

_Wait, he hadn't passed out how was he here again._

_He looked around there didn't seem to be a cloud over his mind like the last times, now everything looked much more vivid. _

_He saw the arcs of red lightning shooting down the synapse, but now it felt like he was travelling with it, watching as strange shapes hidden in the darkness passed by at incredible speeds. Yet the final destination always seemed to be hundreds of miles out of reach._

_He looked down, what did this matter anyway. He was going to die any second._

"_**What are they?" **__A rasping voice called out, it felt like it was coming from every direction at once._

_Shapes began the form out of the surrounding darkness, they became figures of all species, Batarian, Turian, Krogan, Asari and others. As John kept looking around, he suddenly realised that he recognised some of these _faces_, The Turian that assaulted Lia, Selarizia and her Krogan Thugs, Anto Korragan. The more faces he saw the more his anger grew. Then he saw another figure standing in front of him, Balak. With an animalistic roar he charged at the Batarian, but his fist passed through and Balak dissolved back into the black shadows from whence he came._

"_**Who are they?" **__The rasping voice asked again, "They are people who have looked down on me… believed themselves above me…. hurt me because they thought they had some divine right to…stole me from my home" Shepard responded, with each word his voice getting louder and more aggressive, and with each word, the red lightning surged faster and stronger._

"_**What will you do?" **__the voice continued, Shepard fell to his knees and stared down at the ground, "there's nothing I can do, we tried to fight them, but I'm gonna die any second."_

"_**You would just give up? You would accept your suffering… Accept theirs?"**__ As the voice spoke, the shadows once again began to take form, and the forms they took horrified him. He saw a human girl, barely older than eighteen, her knees pulled up to her chest, crying into her arms, nearby a Krogan was pulling his trousers backup. He saw hundreds of humans forced to build a large structure. One of them collapsed, overwhelmed by the weight he was carrying. A Turian walked over and shocked him, there was no reaction from the corpse. Then he saw the same arena he had been fighting in, image after image of some hapless human being slaughtered by an alien gladiator to the cheers of hundreds of thousands of spectators. These images added fuel to his growing rage, and the lightning surged faster._

"_What can I do?" he asked, __**"refuse to fall again" **__was the only response._

_He looked forward, "They have taken everything from us, our freedom, our future, our choice." He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, "I will not fall to them." The red lightning surged faster and faster along the synapse._

_He yelled to the infinite darkness,_

"_I WILL NOT DIE!"_

_Then the red bolts finally reached, their target, the lightning intensified, and grew to such brightness that it completely illuminated the darkness with its red light. The blinding flash completely consumed his vision._

* * *

**000**

* * *

John opened his eyes, he was back here, lying on the floor of the arena, looking at Tullrius about to bring his foot down, with an enraged snarl on his face.

Faster than anybody present could see, Shepard's hand shot out and he gripped the Turian's foot. Tullrius' expression turned to one of shock at the human speed, it quickly turned into outrage as he tried to wrench his foot free. Unfortunately for him the human's vice like grip did not yield.

"Let go of me you little piece of shit." Tullrius yelled.

Shepard gave a snarl from under his helmet, "you got it," and he twisted his wrist.

A sickening snap echoed through the arena, which was quickly followed by a monstrous scream of pain as Tullrius fell backwards, clutching his leg, with his foot now twisted in the opposite direction.

John quickly pushed himself back up to his feet, the searing pain that he'd felt a second ago from his side and shoulder had now been reduced to a gentle buzzing. The symptoms caused by the toxin in his body, had vanished as if he had never been poisoned in the first place.

Shepard ignored all of that as he turned to face the cowardly specimen of a Turian trying to crawl away from him.

He slowly walked up to Tullrius, who in a panic swiped at him wildly with his right arm. With lightning reflexes, Shepard grabbed the offending appendage and squeezed. The Turian yelled once again he felt the bones in his arm begin to crack. Shepard paused for a second to look the Turian in his eye, and in a swift motion snapped the arm in half.

A deafening wail left the Turian's mouth, as he now clutched his arm. His forearm was now bent at almost a right angle, bone shards protruding from the injury, and blood cascading onto the ground.

His opponent's suffering had done nothing to alleviate Shepard's anger. He grasped Tullrius by the collar of his armour and lifted him completely off the ground, then he delivered a massive punch into the Turian's face. And unlike the previous time Tullrius faceplates cracked under the blow, and he was sent flying several feet backwards.

John slowly walked towards where his opponent had fallen. The Turian pushed himself up, a terrified look in his eyes, "please, please don't kill me," he begged. Shepard paused a foot in front of Tullrius and said in a dangerously mocking voice, "sorry. I didn't quite catch that,"

The Turian continued to stare at him paralysed in fear, before yelling for everyone in the stadium to hear, "Please…Mercy."

That word made Shepard's blood boil.

_How many opponents had this piece of scum fought against? how many of them had begged for their lives?_

He gripped his opponent by the throat, and lifted him high into the air, "sorry, I just ran out," and with monstrous glee and ease, he crushed the Turian's throat.

He let the lifeless body fall to the floor, and as the thud was heard, it suddenly dawned on Shepard, what he done. Horror began to fill his mind. He looked around at the massive crowds, none of them were speaking, they only stared in shock, horror and possibly fear.

On the verge of breaking down, John rapidly walked out of the arena through the door he had entered.

In the very back of the stands, two human figures were standing. A male and female, both dressed in black armour, with full helmets covering their faces. They quickly looked at each other, "We… We need to report this to her," the female said.

The male only nodded in response.

* * *

**000**

* * *

John quickly ran into the room, where he had gotten dressed into his armour before the fight started. He quickly pulled off his helmet and ran over to the sink as it clattered to the floor. He grabbed the sink with both arms and stared at the mirror. He was trying to stop himself from hyperventilating, as massive beads of sweat ran down his face. He quickly activated the tap and collected some water in his hands, before splashing his face with it.

Hundreds of thoughts raced through his head, a mix of confusion and horror at what he had done.

_I didn't….. I didn't want to kill him, _he thought, _I wasn't supposed to kill him. How could I do that? How did I do that? His bones… It felt like snapping twigs. It felt… It felt…_

"_**It felt good. Didn't it?" **_A deep voice sounded. Shepard spun around trying to find the source of it. But he could already tell that voice wasn't normal.

"_**I'm right here John," **_John twisted round back in the direction of the mirror, but he didn't see his reflection any more. He saw a strange shadowy mass, with glowing red eyes staring back at him from within the mirror.

Shepard was stunned, he couldn't comprehend what was happening, he gripped his head with both hands, "this isn't a real, I am imagining this, this can't be real," John said to himself, while trying to prevent himself from vomiting, and in the vain hope that saying it out loud would make it true.

"_**You are right and wrong,"**_the shadow said, _**"this is really happening John, but I cannot deny that it is within your mind,"**_

Shepard blinked a dozen times, secretly hoping that he would see his reflection again, and this madness would end. Unfortunately, no matter how much he internally pleaded, the shadow figure he was staring at did not vanish, "what… what the hell are you?" He asked his voice barely a whisper.

"_**A better question to ask yourself is, what are you?" **_John was still in shock that he didn't know how to answer that. Seeing his hesitation, the black mass continued, _**"you think I am something new, but I have been within you all along John. The power you feel, it has always been yours for the taking."**_

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shepard asked, "I've never been able to do shit like that before,"

The glowing red eyes bored into him, _**"truly you do not remember?"**_

Shepard then screamed and grabbed his head as pain began to see through his brain, and visions flashed through his mind.

_He was back on Mindoir, he crushed the head of one Batarian with his fist, he snapped the neck of another like a twig, he threw another several feet through the air as if he weighed nothing._

_He was in the clinic. He easily evaded the gunfire of the robbers; he skillfully drove his scalpel through one's neck._

Shepard grasped in pain and fell to his knees as the visions faded, "I really…. I really…"

"_**Yes, you really performed those feats. As I said, I have always been within you, yet I am nothing without you, for I am you. I have tried to awaken myself before, but you lacked the true strength."**_

"_**I will say it again. Killing that vermin felt good, am I correct," **_the voice asked.

Shepard stared down at his hands still covered in some of the Turian's blood. "He thought he was above me. That he could judge the worth of my life. That he could continue to take pleasure in slaughtering innocent humans for amusement. That moment… That moment when I stood over him, when he pleaded for his life, when I was in a position he had been in just moments before. The moment I ended his miserable existence," Shepard's voice got darker as he talked.

"Yes. That felt good." he roared at the shadow.

"**There are other vermin,"**

John's eyes narrowed at that statement.

_He's right, there are dozens more scum just like Tullrius, who gain fame and fortune by butchering innocent people for the crowd. How many others had Tullrius sliced apart with… with.._

Shepard's line of thought was brought to a screeching halt as he finally registered something, or rather the lack of something.

John quickly inspected both sites at his right shoulder and left side, the massive gashes in his armour that had been done during the fight was still there, with patches of dried blood around the holes. However, he was no longer bleeding, and he wasn't even feeling any pain from his injuries.

Concerned Shepard quickly threw off the chest plate, and stared in absolute shock, there was dried blood around the areas where he had been wounded, but there was no sign of the wound itself. No scars, no marks, nothing to indicate he had been hurt at all. Shepard was trying to wrap his head around this, was this another effect of this… power he apparently had. His eyes then fell to his chest, and he was shocked even further, the scar close to his heart, the scars he had received taking bullets to save Liara were completely gone. He slowly ran his hand over the place where the craters had once been, feeling nothing but smooth unblemished skin.

John was so enthralled by this that he jumped in surprise as his omni-tool activated. Shepard looked and saw that he was receiving a call from Thrax. John accepted the call, but was again shocked as his gaze returned to the mirror and once again saw his own reflection staring back at him.

"Damn kid, I have seen some quite spectacular fights during my time, but that was tremendous. It looked like he had you defeated but you came back and crushed him like a bug," The Krogan's voice came through joyously, but Shepard was barely listening, he waved his arm in front of him experimentally. He wasn't sure if seeing his own reflection repeat the motion was comforting or confusing now.

"I tell you my friend we made a quite a fortune. The odds of the human actually winning the fight are five-hundred to one. With my initial bet of ten-thousand credits, you have yourself a sum of three million credits," Shepard was still staring at his reflection and didn't answer.

"Hello, can you hear me? Say something." Thrax asked.

John's face morphed into a hard scowl as he clenched his fist. Then arcs of red lightning began to dance around his clenched fingers, and his eyes began to glow red.

"How soon can you arrange another fight?" He replied.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Presidium financial district. Consort's Chambers.**

**Time: 2200 CST**

Sha'ira stood in front of the large window, admiring the impressive view of the Citadel that it offered.

She heard footsteps behind her, she turned around as the two armoured humans that had been spectators in the arena step forward.

They both reached up and removed their helmets revealing themselves to be Kaiden and Miranda both with sullen looks on their faces.

"It happened," Miranda said, her voice sounding as if it was about to break, "The power awakened,"

"I know," Sha'ira responded, turning back to face out the window, "I felt it. I couldn't stop it this time. It is raw and dangerous,"

"What can we do?" Miranda asked, begging for an answer.

"Hope Miranda, all we can do is hope," Sha'ira replied.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: unknown**

**Time: 2200 CST**

A figure completely obscured by darkness, walked into a room with dozens of screens displaying scenes from various sites all over the galaxy.

He walked up to the main console, and brought up another screen, displaying a recording of John's fight.

"Excellent, he has awakened it. Now he must become stronger," the figure declared.


	15. Chapter 15: Downward Spiral

A/N: _Italics _indicate internal thought.

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

Also if you want a better description of the Exo-suit, imagine the ones from Elysium or COD advanced warfare.

* * *

**Downward Spiral**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, The Pit**

**Date: 25th September 2180**

**Time: 2200 CST**

The Batarian was sent stumbling back from a punch delivered by Shepard. The strength behind the blow was enough to crack the helmet and shatter two of the eye lenses.

Realising his helmet was now more of a hindrance than protection, the Batarian quickly pulled it off. He then charged at Shepard again and threw a right hook at the human. Using his new speed and agility, John caught the punch in his left hand with ease. He then delivered his own punch into the face of the Batarian, sending his opponents staggering back once again.

Deciding to end this, John picked up speed and began to run towards the Batarian, before delivering a jump kick into his chest. The impact caved the chest plate inwards, and fractured several of his opponent's ribs, he was also knocked onto his back and skidded across the ground several feet.

The Batarian futility tried to push himself back up, but was unable to as he began to cough up blood due to his punctured lungs.

John slowly walked towards his fallen adversary, and positioned himself at his head. He then raised his foot. The Batarian's eyes widened in fear and he tried to beg for mercy. His pleas fell on deaf ears as John brought his foot down directly onto the Batarian's face. The Batarian screamed in pain as he felt his skull crack from the impact and blood begin to pour down his face. John raised his foot again and repeated the process over a dozen times, he wasn't sure when the Batarian stopped struggling, but by the end of his assault, the face was a barely recognisable bloody mass smeared across the arena floor. Shepard gave one last look at the Batarian. This fight hadn't been any challenge, just like the last one. With his new abilities, he barely had to put in any effort to completely crush his opponents.

Once again, the arena was silent at his victory. Of course it didn't surprise Shepard anymore, this was his third victory in the Pit so far, and they still didn't cheer for him.

_As if I would like the idea of any of this scum cheering for me_ John thought as he made his way out of the arena.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Tayseri Ward, Dravo salvage yard**

**Date: 5th October 2180**

**Time: 1500 CST**

Shepard stood in front of a large sheet of metal that he had moved into his workshop at the salvage yard. He raised both of his fists up in a fighting stance, and delivered a jab with his right hand straight into the metal. If Shepard had tried this a month ago, he theorised that he would have likely broken every bone in his hand. Now though his hand was completely unharmed, as he pulled it out of a large dent in the metal. Shepard frowned, he had to get better control of this.

This is what he had spent all of his additional time doing when he wasn't competing in a fight, he was attempting to get a better handle on his new powers. The most obvious was his speed, strength and agility, they far exceeded any natural human. This had caused problems at home, when he had been helping Tali over the weekend with one of her projects, he had almost bent one of the tools by exerting too much pressure on it, and there were other instances of him almost breaking objects. That was one of the main reasons he was trying to get a better understanding of his new strength, to find a way to hide it from Liara and Tali, god knows how they'd react to it, and he also knew he would have to explain how it happened. He also had to be careful not to expose his chest, or Liara would see the missing bullet wounds she treated.

Shepard's instincts told him that that his increased physical prowess was merely the tip of the iceberg, he couldn't explain it but he could feel the power inside him now, almost asking him to call upon it.

John took deep breath and punched the metal again with more control, this time the sheet did not buckle under the force. Shepard practiced this for several more hours, hoping to further increase the control of his new-found strength.

Satisfied with the amount he had done, John stopped his punches and looked down at his hands. There was no sign of any injury or trauma. Another thing John had noticed since the fight, was he no longer became tired. He had tested this by spending a full work shift training non-stop, and when he was finished, he wasn't even out of breath. He had further tested this by seeing how long he could stay awake and had found himself able to stay awake for several days straight without suffering any kind of fatigue.

Shepard glanced at a recent purchase he had made, a personal fabricator unit, like the omni-tool function, but capable of making bigger items. Inside the chamber, an armoured chest plate was currently being created. Shepard looked to the side of the unit, and gave a small smile as he saw his upgraded armour. Using the fabrication unit, John had been able to construct higher quality armour plates, it still maintained its dull grey colour, but it no longer looked like pieces of scrap metal fuse together. The machine beeped, signifying it was done fabricating the chest plate, Shepard reached in and took it out of the chamber. If an ordinary person were to pick it up, they would have instantly dropped it, Shepard had actually manufactured his new armour out of similar materials to plating used in armoured vehicles, ordinarily no being would be able to wear armour so heavy, but John had found that with his new strength it was as easy to wear as his first one.

John fixed the chest plate to the rest of the armour and stood back proudly to admire it.

_None of my opponents are even going to be able to hurt me wearing this._

Shepard suddenly gained a thoughtful expression as he walked to his workbench and picked up his combat knife. Another thing he had been looking into was his healing ability, he had tested it previously by making small cuts on his arm, but with a small flicker of red lightning they vanished almost instantly, today he was really going to put it to the test. He gripped the blade of the knife with his left hand, and then dragged the blade across his palm with a huge amount of force, enduring through the pain he felt. He slowly opened his injured hand, a large gash was now visible across his palm, it was the kind of injury that would cause irreparable nerve damage. John reached within himself, feeling the energy inside him and channeled it into his palm. Red lightning surged around his hand and before his eyes, the wound closed up, leaving no trace it was ever there, even the blood was gone. Shepard was beyond stunned.

John's attention was regained as he heard the door activate, and Thrax came walking in.

"When I saw that you had purchased a personal fabricator unit along with several materials, I honestly couldn't believe it," the Krogan said stopping to stare at the humans new upgraded armour.

"Figured if I want to keep fighting, I might as well look like I didn't crawl out of a trash pile," John responded.

Thrax stared at Shepard for a second, "correct me if I am wrong, but with your five victories, you have successfully secured the credits to buy your freedom."

Shepard turned back to his workbench, "what does it matter to you if I keep fighting. You can keep betting on me," he said.

"I thought you only wanted to keep fighting until you had enough to buy your freedom?" Thrax questioned.

"_**You are not done,"**_ the voice echoed in his head.

Shepard turned around with a snarl to face Thrax, "the scum I fight take pleasure in slaughtering innocent people, and there are still a lot more of them left."

Thrax raised his hands apologetically, "my apologies, but some advice on my part, the more famous you get, the more people are going to wonder where your strength comes from. It might be wise for you to come up with a feasible explanation for where it comes from," the Krogan said sagely.

John turned away from Thrax and picked up a servo from his workbench, "I've got an idea," he said as he channeled some energy into the component, causing it to activate.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Bachjret ward. T'soni apartment.**

**Date: 24th October 2180**

**Time: 1800 CST**

Liara walked casually back into her apartment, rolling her shoulders in an attempt to alleviate some of the work stress.

She was met by a pleasant aroma, and looked to see John working at several pots cooking dinner for the three of them.

John, hearing her come in, turned to face her with a smile, "Liara, how was work today?"

Liara returned the smile, "the last two hours of my shift were exhausting, I had to treat a very vocal Elcor."

John gave a chuckle, "well, dinner will be ready in about an hour, I hope Tali gets back soon though."

"Wonderful, let me tell you Jonathan, one of the problems I have with your current job, is that we don't see as much of you, or your delicious cooking," upon realising what she said, Liara's eyes cast down slightly.

John looked away sullenly for a moment, "yeah, I know my job at the salvage yard takes up a lot of time. I really miss not being able to spend as much with the two of you as I used to," realising that he wasn't doing much to improve her mood, he regained his cheerful expression, "Is that why you insist I take a day off every couple of weeks."

Liara gave a small smile at that comment. "That is the biggest advantage of it yes," she then walked up and placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder, "it's also because I don't want you too overworked. I'm concerned by the increasing number of night shifts your working," she said compassionately, "the last thing I want to do is keep you from your family Jonathan, but I don't want you to kill yourself from exhaustion doing it."

_I'm not sure I'm even capable of exhaustion anymore _"thanks Liara," he responded, turning back to the cooking.

Liara walked towards her room to drop off her belongings, she quickly looked back over her shoulder at Shepard. It wasn't just his lack of time with them that had changed, Liara knew he tried to hide it, but she had noticed that he wasn't quite as enthusiastic as he had been when they first bought him. She believed that his near-death experience at the hands of Selarizia might be the cause of it.

Her attention was then drawn to her apartments front door, as a very angry Quarian stormed inside.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe those bosh'tets," she yelled.

"What happened Tali?" Liara asked, taken back slightly by her friend's outburst.

"You know those parts I've been working on. The parts I've been working night and day to refurbish, so I could sell them back at a better price. Well I was on my way to the buyer, then I get pulled over by some C-sec assholes. They grabbed my bag and had a look at the parts I was holding. Then they come to the 'conclusion' that I stole new parts from a store and 'confiscated them." Tali paused to catch her breath after her little rant.

Liara went over to her, "I'm so sorry Tali,"

Tali, ignored Liara and continued, "and then I head to the store, and see those same bastards, selling my stuff."

The angry Quarian roughly deposited herself on the couch, before gripping her helmeted head in her hands, "I hate how they can just get away with doing that to Quarians. It's outrageous, no other species suffers that kind of discrimination, it is an assault on our sentient rights,"

Before Liara can respond, a loud crash catches both the girls' attention, and they turn to see John with a shattered plate on the floor next to him, "oh yes, no other species suffers more than the Quarians, how dare they trample upon your personal freedoms," both Tali and Liara flinched at the harsh tone Shepard had taken.

A tense pause filled the room for a few moments before Shepard quickly turned around, his eyes wide," I'm… I'm sorry Tali, I didn't mean… It just came out…" John tried to find the right thing to say.

"No, No, it's my fault, I should remember how sensitive some topics must be to you. I'm sorry John," Tali said sincerely.

John looked away again and rubbed his eyes. He had no idea where they had come from.

_I can't believe I snapped at her like that, it's like it just slipped out before I knew what I was saying._

"_**She makes a mockery of our plight, just like the rest,"**_

_No. she's not like that, neither of them are. They treat me like a person, they know this galaxy is wrong._

Shepard was thankful that the voice didn't respond. He sighed deeply, he hadn't meant to snap at Tali, but it had made him consider other emotional changes he had been through these past few weeks. Lately whenever he saw a human being harassed by Xenophobes his fists clenched and his teeth gritted, practically on instinct, and he actually felt like he wanted to attack them. He was able to maintain his self-control, but how easily he was angered concerned him a little. Two weeks ago, a Turian had harassed him on his way back from the salvage yard, and John had instantly fantasised about crushing his head.

He never let his temper get like this before, and had always been able to prevent himself from getting riled up by people's degradation of him, but lately, these rapid flashes of anger were beginning to feel instinctual for him.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, The Pit**

**Date: 4th November 2180**

**Time: 2230 CST**

Shepard leaned to the left to dodge a downward swipe from an Asari wielding a long sword. Without missing a beat, he performed a role, and dodged a slash from another Asari.

John had decided he wanted a more challenging fight, so he had agreed to a two on one fight against the formidable Asari sisters, Am'ne and Hol'neu T'esve. They were formidable sword masters, both had violet skin, with identical red tribal tattoos across their faces. They had a reputation for slowly disabling their opponents with small cuts, and then taking the time to slice them apart.

Both of the Asari raised their swords as they faced Shepard, Am'ne used her biotics and leapt over Shepard, landing behind him and tried to stab him. John parried with his right forearm, her sword sliding harmlessly across his new armour. Both sisters proceeded to deliver a coordinated series of attacks against him from both sides. John blocked an attack by Hol'neu, then ducked under another slash by Am'ne, he parried another blow from Hol'neu, then delivered a kick to Am'ne sending her back a few feet. He blocked another attack from Hol'neu and they briefly entered a stalemate, until he pushed her away, then backed up slightly.

The sisters recomposed themselves before advancing on Shepard again. They came at him from his left and right. Shepard dodged and parried dozens of sword attacks. His speed was tested as he quickly had to switch his attention between the two Asari. His new armour proving it was worth all the time he put into it as he used it to block the blades.

_This is what I wanted, a true test._

Am'ne gave a frustrated cry and powered her biotics. She leapt up and brought her sword down in a powerful strike, John crossed his forearms in front of him and met the blow. The Asari strained, trying with all her strength to over-power the human. Seeing that her sister had distracted him, Hol'neu made a slash at Shepard's neck. At the last minute, John pushed Am'ne back and leaned away from Hol'neu's strike. Unfortunately, the blade dug into one of the exposed gaps between the plates and into his shoulder. Johns cautiously stepped away from his opponents as he felt the cut in his shoulder already begin to heal, the red lighting stitched is flesh together unseen by anybody under his armour.

The sisters position themselves on either side of Shepard, and charged him once again. He looked between them as they advanced, Am'ne reached him first and when she raised her sword above her head, Shepard's right hand shot out and gripped her wrist, preventing her from bringing her blade down. Without missing a beat Shepard raised his left forearm to block Hol'neu's blow. John realised that the best chance for victory, was to split them up.

_Divide and conquer as they say. _He summarised.

John delivered a powerful kick into Am'ne's exposed to chest, she was sent flying back several feet, and landed with a thud on the ground severely winded. John then focused his attention solely on Hol'neu. The Asari keeping her grip on her sword with her right hand, raised her left fist, biotic energy surging around it, and tried to deliver a punch into Shepard's face.

Shepard caught the fist with ease. However, something strange happened when he did, the biotic energy that had covered Hol'neu's fist suddenly faded out. Both stared in shock. John recovered from the surprise first and crushed the Asari's fist.

Hol'neu felt her knees screaming she clutched her hand. Her fingers now pointing at unnatural angles, and several bone shards poking through. Tired of her screaming, John delivered another blow to the side of her face sending her to the ground. He looked down at her for a second, unsure what to do.

"_**Death is too simple, you must make them suffer" **_he found himself agreeing.

He grabbed the Asari's fallen sword and then grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her up into a kneeling position in front of him. He then looked towards Am'ne who was slowly rising to her feet.

"I want you to get a good look at this squid," he yelled at her.

As Am'ne looked at him with a look of fear in her eyes, he drove the sword through Hol'neu's chest.

Am'ne screamed as her sister's lifeless body fell to the floor, "you killed her," she yelled before recklessly charging at the human.

_How many people have you killed, you bitch? You expect me to care for the life of vermin like you._

With speed easily exceeding the Asari's he dropped the sword and charged at her as well. Before Am'ne could raise her blade, John grabbed her by her face, lifted her off her feet, and slammed her into the ground headfirst.

A sicking crunch rolled across the floor of the arena. John stood back up and looked down at the Asari's lifeless eyes, blue blood pooling around her head.

"THERE IT IS FOLKS. A GREAT WIN FOR THE KILLING MACHINE…BLOOOD BRAAAAWL." The announcers voice echoed across the stadium.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Tayseri Ward, Dravo salvage yard**

**Date: 12th November 2180**

**Time: 1300 CST**

Thrax walked towards Shepard's workshop while reading a data pad. He began to speak as the door opened," Shepard, you left me a message saying you wanted me to arrange another fight. You competed in four fights last week, are you sure you want to…" The Krogan stopped mid-sentence as he finally saw the human.

John was sitting on a bench strapping on, what to Thrax, looked like an exo-suit. It was the barebones structure of one, thin frame pieces were positioned along his arms, shoulders, down his back and along his legs. There were servos positioned at all his joints, elbows, shoulders and knees. The frame also supported a considerable number of miniature hydraulics, positioned primarily around his shoulders, but also along his legs and arms, obviously to add power to their movements. The old Krogan knew the human had been working on something, but this was far more impressive than he anticipated.

"So, this is what you are working on." The old Krogan deduced, doing his best to hide his admiration for the impressive feat of engineering.

Shepard didn't turn to face him, "you said I needed a way to hide my strength. I can attach my armour plates to this, and if anyone asks how a human is so strong, I show them this," John explained as he activated his omni-tool to run a system check on the suit.

"Have you ever thought of making a fortune off selling a design like this, the council military has been trying to develop a suit like this for years?" Thrax questioned.

John scoffed, "yeah, I show this to some Salarian or Asari engineer, they kill me and pass it off as their own creation. You know as well as I do that the only thing that disgusts aliens more than the idea of a human being stronger than them, is a human being smarter. Besides, I'm the only one who can use a suit like this."

"Yes, I am wondering where the suit's power come from?" Thrax was genuinely curious, the issue that had held the Citadel back in exo-suit development was creating a power source compact enough to work effectively with it.

Still facing away, Shepard's eyes flashed red and red lightning surged around him in the suit. The power relays lit up and all the components of the suit activated. "That answer your question," he responded uncaring as he turned around to face Thrax.

A small smile formed on the elderly Krogan's wrinkled lips, "I am surprised you seem unconcerned with me knowing about your unique gifts."

Shepard looks at the Krogan stoically, "I've checked everything I can about you, as far as I can tell you won't gain anything by telling anyone about me. Liara and Tali would want me to seek medical help, and anyone else would want me killed. But with you, this helps you earn more credits." John said as he held up his fist and produced several bolts of red lightning.

He then narrowed his eyes, "understand this, if I think you'll inform anyone, I will bury you alive in your own junkyard."

Thrax didn't even react to the threat, he let out a small chuckle, "of course," he responded.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Zakera Ward Free Clinic**

**Date: 21st November 2180**

**Time: 1200 CST**

John was setting up beds in the free clinic, a few months ago, this had been one of the better moments of his time on the Citadel. He enjoyed helping Liara out and seeing her work. He knew that Liara asked him to help her during his days off from the salvage yard, because she knew something had changed about him and hoped he would tell her what was wrong.

But he couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell her that he spent more time at the salvage yard because he couldn't stand what he saw walking down the streets, that right now he was focusing on setting up the clinic to distract himself from thinking about those things.

At first it had just been when the local inhabitants had physically tormented the human slave population that had made him angry, he had calmed himself by trying to convince himself that not all aliens were like that. That there were the ones like Tali and Liara that treated humans well. But no matter how much he tried to ignore it now, everywhere he looked he saw something that angered him.

They may not physically hurt them, but he saw how some alien owners, degradingly spoke down to their human slaves, talking to them like they were pets, and it infuriated him. He saw how some owners brought in their slaves to be looked over at the clinic, and told the staff about the horrible 'accidents' the human had suffered. All the while these aliens were trying to act like benevolent people, that they treated humans like this for their own good.

He couldn't help overhearing a Turian speak with Liara regarding his slave, "do you think you could give me an estimate of how much this treatment will cost," he asked.

"I haven't even examined her yet. Why are you so eager for a cost?" Liara asked.

"I was wondering if perhaps, it might be a more economic option to euthanise her, then purchase a new one," he said completely uncaring.

John's fingers involuntarily clenched at that, the metal of the bed frame deforming under the pressure.

"_**They care nothing for us. They view us as something they can just discard."**_

This had been an accumulating problem for Shepard. The more he saw and heard, the more his rage grew. He needed outlets for his anger more regularly, and that meant fighting more regularly.

Liara quickly glanced at his back, excusing herself from the Turian, she walked over to him, "are you all right Jonathan?" she asked.

"Fine," he responded simply before moving away.

Liara knew that he was lying. It had been getting worse over the last few months, his once friendly demeanour had regressed more and more. Now he barely even talked to her or Tali, he still helped around their apartment, but he almost hardly ever spoke to them.

"Anyway, we still need five more beds set up. The incoming slave ship says they have twelve humans in need of urgent attention," she tried to word that as gently as possible, she was well aware of how sensitive the topic was for him.

What he said next completely shocked her, "maybe you shouldn't put so much effort into saving them. Let them succumb to their wounds and you'll be sparing them from this this," he said gesturing to an injured human being brought in.

Liara looked at him aghast, "how can you say that Jonathan. I am a Doctor, it is my job to save lives." Shepard responded by giving her a flat stare, she sighed," I know how much you hate it, but I promise you most of these humans will be bought by good people, who will treat them right."

John simply looked at her and began to walk away.

"_**She is ignorant of this horror. She is just like the rest."**_

He had been hearing that more and more over the past few weeks. He had tried to deny it vigorously at first but in recent weeks Liara's dates with Anto has evolved into a full relationship. And if there was one thing John hated, it was constantly seeing that squint bastard with Liara, the more he saw of him the more his opinion of Liara lessoned. And now for the first-time John found himself agreeing with the voice.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, The Pit**

**Date: 25th November 2180**

**Time: 2200 CST**

Shepard was sent flying back, due to a biotic throw from his opponent.

He flipped over in mid-air and landed back on his feet. His opponent was a Batarian brawler, armed with a halberd type weapon.

The fight had been going on for 30 minutes, John's armour was covered in scratches, he had even had to heal himself several times, his opponent however was practically on his last legs.

The Batarian tried to fire a warp at him, but using his newfound ability, he crossed his arms over his chest, and biotic energy simply dispersed around him. Leaving him unharmed.

John charged forward, the hydraulics in his legs powering him forward, further augmenting his inhuman speed. As the Batarian brought his weapon down, John swerved to the left, he then swung his fist upwards, and broke the shaft of the weapon in two.

The Batarian was shocked by the destruction of his weapon, he failed to notice John raise his left foot and smash it into the Batarian's knee, breaking it.

The Batarian fell onto his back with a scream, he looked at Shepard with pleading eyes, "I yield, I yield," he said.

John looked the Batarian in the eye, he had started watching recordings of his opponents' previous fights. And just like all the others, this one had taken pleasure in murdering dozens of innocent human slaves.

"_**They do not show any mercy. Do not show them any mercy," **_the voice echoed in his head.

Clenching his teeth John kneeled on top of the Batarian's chest, and spread his fingers.

The Batarian, realising what Shepard's intentions were, began to panic, "Please, please don't, have mercy, I'll…" The man's pleads gave way to screams as Shepard dug his index fingers and thumbs into his four eyes.

Meanwhile, in the stands Kaidan Alenko was watching the spectacle and trying not to be sick. He activated his omni-tool, "He's getting worse and worse," he reported.

"I know," Sha'ira's voice responded from his omni-tool," I have a plan to try and drive him off this path. He must see for himself how far he has fallen. The plan will be implemented soon. Keep an eye out for this man."

A photo of Anto Korragan flashed up.


	16. Chapter 16: Conflict and Confrontations

A/N_: Italics_ indicate internal thought.

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Conflict and Confrontations**

* * *

**Location: Citadel Docks, Hegemony slave ship**

**Date: 29th October, 2180**

**Time: 1700 CST**

Anto Korragan gave a deep sigh as he looked around the loading bay of his ship, knowing that this would be one of the last views he had of it.

"You can't really be that nostalgic about leaving behind this worthless heap of junk, Anto," he heard Bray say from behind them.

Turning around to face his long-time companion, Anto smiled and said sarcastically, "what can I say I'm going to miss hanging out with such great company."

Bray returned the smile and responded in an equally sarcastic tone, "well, by all means you should stay on, I sure don't want these useless Varren dumped on me."

Anto give a small chuckle before responding seriously, "I sometimes really wish I could stay with you guys Bray, but my father has finally reached retirement age. And now he's all too eager to get me to run all his affairs, while he lounges around our family estate."

Bray gave him an incredulous look, "oh come on, you'd do anything to spend more time at the Citadel," he then gained a mischievous expression, "and with a certain Asari Doctor."

Anto smiled, "well that would be one benefit to having to manage all my father's business from now on."

"How are you gonna swing that with the higher ups in the Hegemony?" Bray asked.

"Well I found out her mother is one of the most important Matriarchs. If the Hegemony sends somebody to 'dissuade' my relationship; I can just tell em I'm making connections, that should keep most of them off my back." Anto responded, confident in his explanation.

Bray then swung his arm around Anto's shoulder, "well this is your last run with us captain, we should make it a night to remember."

Suddenly both of their omni-tools' lit up. Bray looked at it with a frown, "another damn advert…" He stopped suddenly as he saw the commercial. "Speaking of an unforgettable night," Bray said, "you're never gonna believe this. Balak's competing in a fight tonight, down in the Pit."

"I thought we blocked those advertisements from our…" Anto started, until he finally registered what Bray said, "Balak's still fighting, damn that psycho hasn't changed. Who's he fighting?"

Bray looked back at the message, "Blood Brawl," he said nervously.

Anto quickly looked at him, "the human gladiator. I saw what he did to Brutaliser and Bone Storm. Crushed them with his bare hands," a great deal of fear in his voice.

Bray looked at his friend with a smile, "are you gonna complain if he does that to Balak?" he asked.

Anto's eyes went wide and a grin spread across his face, "Pillars, this is gonna be a fight worth seeing."

As the two Batarians walked off, neither of them noticed Kaidan, hiding behind a nearby supply crate, wearing his armour.

He quickly activated his omni-tool, "I delivered the message to them. They think it was just an advert. They'll attend the fight."

"Good. I am certain that Korragan will recognise him," Sha'ira responded.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, The Pit**

**Date: 29th November 2180**

**Time: 2200 CST**

Shepard finished attaching the last piece of his armour, the chest plate, over his exo-suit. He stood fully decked out in his armour, his helmet resting on the bench nearby.

He closed his eyes and cautiously channelled the energy from him into the components of the exo suit. He had gotten better at this over the last few weeks. He had discovered that, the energy within him was capable of generating far more power than he required for the suit, this had resulted in him shorting out several of the servos on more than one occasion.

Feeling the micro hydraulics and servos of the suit activate, John shadowboxed briefly, to make sure there was nothing wrong with the suit.

He then picked up his helmet and walked towards the entrance to the arena. Shepard was slightly confused this time actually, Thrax hadn't informed him about who is opponent would be. He quickly brushed those thoughts aside; he had already defeated some of the most formidable gladiators the Pit offered.

"_**They will serve as no challenge to you" **_the voice echoed in his head

_Yeah. I can defeat anyone this scum throws me._

As the large doors began to open Shepard quickly placed his helmet on his head, and pulled the faceplate down.

He walked into the centre of the arena, with the massive crowds roaring from the stands.

"Here he is ladies and gentlemen. The fighter who has defied all expectations, and destroyed all who sought to bring him down. BLOOD BRAWL," Dantius' voice echoed from the speakers.

Shepard saw the doors at the opposite end of the arena open and his opponent step through.

"And his opponent. He has been a long-standing champion of the Pit for many years. With just as many impressive victories. SUPREMACY!" Dantius introduced.

John narrowed his eyes as the other gladiator walked towards him. His opponent was a Batarian judging from the helmet. The equipment he wore was definitely impressive, very high quality. Shepard briefly wondered what kind of connections this guy had to get gear that good.

The Batarian stood in front of Shepard and folded his arms. From his body language, John got the impression that he was not impressed.

"Heard about you over the past few months. Heard you've been able to beat some pretty strong fighters," Shepard's mind screeched to a halt as he heard the Batarian's voice.

_Can it be him… it can't be._

"That's why I was so eager to fight you. Someone has to remind you humans of your place. You beat a few gladiators? You might start thinking your someone important. So, I'm putting you in the dirt where you belong filth,"

It was no longer a question. Shepard knew who this was without a shadow of a doubt.

His opponent was Ka'hairal Balak.

John couldn't stop himself.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA," he threw his head back as he let out a hysterical laugh.

Balak's fists clenched, this human was laughing at him, "what the fuck do you find so funny?" He asked in a dangerous tone.

Shepard imagined that Balak was scowling under that helmet.

John quickly tried to regain his composure, though he still let out the occasional chuckle as he responded," Oh, it's nothing, heh, nothing about you. It's this, heh heh, this situation."

Balak let out a deep growl, "And what exactly is it about this situation you find so damn amusing slave," he said through gritted teeth.

Shepard let his body relax, "situations like this, squint. These are the type of situations that make you believe in shit like destiny."

_I'm gonna enjoy this so much, you mother fucker_

"_**Let your rage drive you"**_

Balak drew a dagger and pointed it threateningly at Shepard, "I'm gonna take my sweet time with you."

He lunged at Shepard aiming to stab him in the gut. John lazily stepped to the left, letting the strike pass in front of him. Just before Balak could pass him, he raised his left arm and elbowed the Batarian in the face.

Balak was sent stumbling back. John could've hit him much harder, but he wanted to take his time with his former tormentor. Grinning under his helmet, Shepard taunted Balak to attack again.

Roaring in anger the Batarian charged. When he was within a meter of the human, Shepard delivered a left hook, into the side of Balak's face. The impact sent him flying to the left, where he landed face down on the floor.

"That all you got 'master?'," John said mockingly.

Balak pushed himself up to his knees and turned his head around to look at the human. The blow had created a large crack in his helmet. Both of his left eyes were now visible. John tensed slightly as he saw the rage fill them.

Balak pushed himself up to his feet, not waiting for him to react, Shepard charged forward. He jumped and delivered in double hammer fist directly on top of Balak, sending his face back into the ground.

"Where's all that superiority now Batarian," John sneered.

Balak yelled in absolute fury as he stood back up and charged at Shepard like an enraged bull. How dare this human humiliate him. He was going to make this sorry excuse of a lifeform pay dearly for the insult.

John didn't even react as the Batarian neared him. At the last second before Balak could land a blow, Shepard ducked down, and swung his fist. The blow met with Balak's foot and sent him flipping, head over heels, several times, before crashing back down to the ground.

John couldn't stop himself from letting out a small laugh as he witnessed the Batarian's pitiful attempts to push himself back up. He walked up to his fallen opponent, and rested his foot on the back of Balak's head forcing it into the floor, "How does it feel to be the one under somebodies' heel for a change Balak?" Shepard whispered into his ear.

John then pulled away, before stamping down on Balak's left arm, the sound of a crack filled the air, and the Batarian yelled out in pain.

Balak weakly twisted his head to look up at Shepard. John suddenly recalled his last encounter with Balak, and a nasty grin formed on his face. He proceeded to remove the groin plate of his armour, and urinate directly into the crack in Balak's helmet.

The Batarian yelled out and disgust, but he didn't even have the energy to raise his arms.

After readjusting his trousers, John knelt down until his face was just inches away from Balak's. The Batarian looked at him, "who the hell are you?" he choked out.

Shepard's response was simply to raise his faceplate.

Balak's exposed eyes widened in shock, "Not you…. It can be you…" he stuttered.

John grinned, "Oh, it's me all right asshole," he then grabbed Balak's head and slammed him into the ground knocking him unconscious.

"Well I've had my fun for today. Let me know if you ever want a rematch 'Supremacy '," John said as he proceeded to walk out.

In the stands Anto was watching the human leave curiously.

"Hell of a match captain," Bray said from behind him.

Anto's eyes widened in realisation," No way…. That human couldn't…."

* * *

**000**

* * *

Shepard pulled his hood up and exited the back alley. He could not hide the good mood he was in right now.

In recent months he had lost all desire to be discrete when walking down the streets of the lower Wards. Thrax had constantly reminded him that there was practically no law here, no one to arrest him if he did something wrong. And indeed a few weeks ago a Krogan had tried to pick a fight with him in the street. Shepard answered with his trusted M-5 Phalanx, and people had barely reacted to the body lying in the street.

Still John liked to spend as little time as possible in this lawless section, he didn't want anyone drawing a connection between him and Blood Brawl.

"Well, I got to admit, I didn't recognise you when I first saw you 00655321," a voice called out from behind him.

Shepard froze. His fists clenched and his eyes narrowed. He recognised who that voice belonged to as well. It was the only other person in the galaxy Shepard hated as much as Balak. Shepard turned around slowly, and indeed standing there was Anto Korragan with a large smile on his face.

"If I'd known you were this skilled at fighting kid, I would have held off selling you until I'd gotten back to Kar'shan. I have sold you for a fortune in the Coliseum." The Batarian said in a friendly tone.

Shepard didn't respond. He just continued to stare daggers at the man who had abducted him from his home.

"Still, I'm having a hard time believing Liara lets you compete in these fights…." Anto continued.

"Shut the hell up." John yelled, cutting Anto off mid-sentence.

Bray and Anto stared at Shepard, stunned by his outburst.

The smile quickly returned to Anto's face, "good to see you still got your fire 00655321," seemingly unphased by the human's anger.

Bray however frowned, "You should remember where you are human. I thought your masters would have…" Bray couldn't finish as he was enveloped in a biotic field, and slammed into a wall with enough force to knock him out.

Anto stared at the human in shock, Shepard's hand radiating with biotic energy.

"It seems that you're the ones who don't remember where you are," Shepard said in an ice cold tone, "there's no law here. No one to punish me for 'defying' you. And no one who'll stop to help you."

He slowly advanced towards Anto while drawing his combat knife in his left hand. Anto's eyes widened in fear as he grabbed his gun. But Shepard was too fast and he grabbed the Batarian's wrist, and with a squeeze, forced him to drop the pistol.

Shepard gave Anto a nefarious smirk, as he covered his hand in biotic energy, and crushed Anto's wrist.

The Batarian stumbled back cradling his now broken wrist. John quickly swept his legs from under the Batarian and knocked him onto his back. He then kneeled on Anto's chest. The Slaver was completely at his mercy.

"I think it's time I showed you how much I've changed captain. Once you held my life in your hands, and judged its value by credits. But now, in this moment, I decide YOUR fate." Shepard said smugly as he brought his knife up to the Batarian's eye.

Anto looked at Shepard in a panic, "Please, please don't kill me," he pleaded.

Shepard looked him in the eye, "say my name," he demanded.

"Shepard, Shepard," Anto yelled frantically.

A feral grin stretched across John's mouth, "you know I think I should leave you with a memento of our reunion, "he then slashed Anto across his upper left eye.

John walked away happily, as the Batarian screamed on the ground trying to stop the bleeding.

_I am in way too good mood just head back home right now. I'm gonna go get a drink. Thrax give me the names of some rundown bars that would actually serve a human in this place._

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Bachjret ward. T'soni apartment.**

**Date: 29th November 2180**

**Time: 2330 CST**

Liara was reclining on the couch in her apartment, with a glass of Thessian wine in her hand. She was engaged in an important debate with one of the most important matriarchs in the Republic.

"Mother I assure you he is a good person, he has been nothing but an absolute gentleman all the times we've gone out together," she stated calmly.

"That may be all well and good little wing, but being adequate in public is only one aspect, can you tell me that he is adequate in the more private settings," Benezia responded.

Liara looked away with the dreamy look in her eyes, "He is far more than adequate in that instance," she said.

The matriarch paused to look at her daughter, "By the goddess, you've actually embraced eternity with him," she said trying to stifle her laughter.

"Hell, I say it's about time you did it kid," Came the voice of her father sitting in the chair opposite.

"damn right it is," came the voice of Tali, who was sitting next to Liara, as she joined in the teasing.

Liara turned a deep purple," I…I… I don't see how that is the concern of any of you. I am not a child anymore," she stuttered, "besides we've done it three times"

Benezia waved off her daughter's offence, "oh let an old woman have her fun Liara. In all seriousness I am truly glad you found a good person."

"Thank you," Liara said relieved.

"But if he ever hurts you, let me know and I'll be sure to send Shiala to punish him," the matriarch said in a humorous tone.

"That is if I don't get my hands on him first," Atheyta said as she took another sip of wine.

Liara looked at her parent's completely aghast, but before she could respond, Tali burst out laughing.

"This is what girls like us get when we have famous parents Liara. Keelah, one time a marine cadet tried the flirt with me, and my father threatened to send them on a suicide mission," said the Quarian.

Liara couldn't help but laugh at that.

Suddenly all four of them were interrupted by the doorbell ringing frantically.

Liara made her way up to the door and opened it.

Anto clutching his bleeding face fell inside.

Liara looked at him in shook, "Anto what happened to you? No wait hold on a second let me get my medical supplies," she said, her medical training kicking in.

The Batarian grabbed her arm before she could pull away, "No wait, there's something I need to tell you. It's about Shepard,"

* * *

**000**

* * *

Liara had ended up needing to call Mordin to treat Anto's injuries. The Salarian was currently cleaning the wound on the Batarian's face.

"No optical nerve damages. No current threat to optical faculties. Permanent scarring unavoidable." Mordin diagnosed.

Liara was pacing around the apartment, rubbing her temples, trying to make sense of everything Anto had just told them.

"I knew he was desperate to get home. I saw how he was changing. But I never thought… I never…" Liara couldn't finish that line of thought.

Tali was looking at the account they had set up for Shepard, with her mouth agape beneath her mask. "Over 45 million credits," she said, completely stunned, she looked away from the screen, "Why didn't he stop when he earned enough? Did he think we wouldn't let him go? Why did he just keep fighting?" she asked, dreading what the answers would actually be.

Benezia placed a comforting hand on Liara's shoulder," You yourself told me how much Shepard missed his family. It is possible he started down this path originally as just a way to acquire the funds to buy his freedom, but when someone battles Liara, sometimes…sometimes they can gain a …taste for combat," she said, trying to word her thoughts without upsetting Liara even more.

"Yeah, well he gained a hell of a taste for it," Atheyta joined in. She cringed as she watched some of the vids of Shepard's fights that Anto had provided.

"We need to…We need to talk to him… and hear his side of this, maybe someone is forcing him…maybe… ," Liara's trembled as she desperately tried to rationalise why the good person she knew had resorted to such brutality.

Tali walked up to her, "We'll figure this out," she said, wanting there to be another explanation as much as her roommate did.

Benezia looked at her fellow matriarch for a second, then looked back at Liara," I know you don't want to believe this Liara, but me and your father shall remain here while you speak to him."

Liara smiled at her parents, then turned to Anto, "Please, don't tell anybody about what he did. I'm begging you. Give me a chance to talk to him," she pleaded

"Of course, I didn't tell you this hoping you'd punish him. I've seen lot of people go down the path he's on right now, I told you this so you could try and get him off it," Anto responded with a gentle smile, resting his hand on Liara's cheek.

"Ambulance time two minutes. Will remain here as well. Maybe required to reduce tension," Mordin chimed in.

"Thank you, Doctor," Liara said.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Bachjret ward. T'soni apartment.**

**Date: 30th November 2180**

**Time: 0130 CST**

John open the door to the apartment and quietly walked inside. All the lights were off. He assumed Tali and Liara had already turned in.

The last few weeks had informed Shepard of another change his body had undergone. Now he could hold a lot more alcohol. He had tried several attempts to get himself drunk, and after consuming a wide range of beverages, all had ended in failure.

He was about to change out of his clothes, when the light suddenly came on. He turned around and saw Liara, Tali, Benezia, Atheyta and Mordin seated in the living area, all with grim expressions on their faces.

Quickly overcoming his surprise, Shepard walked in front of everyone, putting a smile on his face," Hey Liara, Tali, didn't know you'd still be up," he then turned his gaze towards the three other guests, "so you had some company tonight, if you'd told me I wouldn't have worked this nightshift," he tried to add some humour to his tone.

Liara shakily stood up, she raised her eyes to meet Shepard's, she steeled herself and desperately tried to force the words out of her mouth, "Jonathan… I know what you've been doing," her voice sounded like it was on the verge of breaking.

John internally flinched at that comment, but he kept himself composed. He smiled at her, "doing? I've been working in the junkyard Liara," he said hoping she didn't know what he feared she knew.

Tali then stood up, "Blood Brawl," the Quarian exclaimed.

Hearing that name, John knew that the secret was out, there was no longer any need for this charade. He let his arms fall calmly to his side, the smile vanished from his face.

"So, you know," he said coldly, "Korragan tell you?" He asked in disgust.

"Yes, but that is not the issue right now Jonathan," Liara stepped up to him, "You've been fighting in the Pit," she practically yelled the last part at him.

"Please, please tell me there is another explanation for this. Please tell me that there is a reason you thought you had to resort to going to that deplorable place, other than to gain your freedom."

Shepard looked away from her," it was the only option I had," he said through gritted teeth.

"Your only option?" Liara said in shock, "there were other ways John, you didn't have to risk your life to…"

John interrupted her before she could continue, "I didn't have other options Liara, Selarizia made sure of that," his was slowly getting more aggressive.

Liara took a step back and covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to regain her breath, "But you won enough credits, why did you keep fighting afterwards? Goddess Jonathan, do have any idea what it would have done to us if you had been killed down there."

"_**She pretends to care, she regrets that she would not have received her funds back,"**_

John narrowed his eyes at the young Asari," like it would have really matter to you," he sneered.

Liara took a step back, almost as if Shepard had physically struck her," John, we do care about you," she tried not to choke as she continued speaking," I understand your plight but…"

"_**understands. Her people do this" **_the voice was shouting in her ear now.

"MY PLIGHT?" he was yelling now, "how many slave ships come to dock at this station every day? How many human families are torn apart all over the galaxy every day? How many slaves suffer all over your precious 'civilised galaxy'?" he knew he shouldn't be dumping this on Liara, but all the anger that had been building up over the past few months, was finally being unleashed.

He stared down at Liara, who began to backup, completely intimidated, "innocent people are kidnapped from their homes, and families constantly. And for what? So Asari maidens like you can have their own pleasure slave, so Turians don't have to break their talons building their cities, so your people don't have to suffer at the hands of slavers like mine do," he roared the words in her face.

Liara took several steps back, her entire body trembling and her eyes watering.

Tali quickly stepped forward, "I know what happens to your people is horrible John. But you're not the only race in the galaxy that suffers. Quarians can't go anywhere in Citadel space without…" she tried desperately to reason with him.

"Ha Ha Ha," he chuckled darkly interrupting her.

"_**Her people are hypocrites. We know what they are,"**_

He looked at Tali and smirked, "Yes, you never stop talking about how oppressed your people are, how unfair their treatment is, how you need those confining suits to survive. But I looked further into your people's history Tali. You claim you lost everything to the Geth. But let's have a look at that, the Geth did the labour your people didn't want to, they fought when your people didn't want to," he pointed an accusing finger at Tali, "They were your slaves,"

His face then twisted into a nasty snarl, "You Quarians aren't victims. You're just the only slavers in the galaxy who got what they deserved,"

Tali's hands clenched into fists, and began to tremble as she looked up at him.

John slowly leaned towards her, until his face was only a few inches away from her helmet, "let's be completely honest Tali, the only reason your people haven't been reduced to the same state as mine is because you can't live outside those suits," he remarked mockingly.

Tali yelled in anger and swung a right hook, nailing him square in the jaw, but barely causing him to turn his head. Shepard let out an animalistic growl, before coating his right fist in biotic energy, and back handing Tali in the stomach.

The blow sent her flying into a wall, where she slumped down to the ground, a large crack now down her helmet.

John then quickly turned back to Liara whose eyes were wide with fear, at what he'd just done, he yelled right in her face "you know the day that I saved you. I had the chance to escape the Citadel. I could have gone back to my family. But I decided to save you, because I was under the delusion that I owned you something."

"What a mistake that was," he scoffed.

He had been so caught up in venting his frustrations, that he failed to notice Mordin come up from behind him, and use his omni-tool to inject something into the human's shoulder.

"Simple sedative. Take effect in ten seconds. Continue this debate with calmer…," the Salarian was cut off as John grabbed the doctor's arm and pulled it away from him, a growl escaping from his throat.

Mordin's eyes widened slightly, "problematic," he said meekly.

Shepard slammed his fist into the Doctor's face, sending him flying onto his back. He tried to push himself back up, some green blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, but another punch to his jaw from the enraged human, knocked him unconscious.

John rolled his shoulder subconsciously; the sedative had been burned out of his system before it had even started to feel numb.

He made ready to deliver another blow to the already unconscious Salarian, but suddenly he found himself enveloped in a blue light, and was unable to move. He had been caught in a stasis. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw matriarch Benezia with her right hand outstretched, the same blue glow dancing around it and a deep frown on her face.

"That is enough!" She exclaimed sternly, "I understand where your anger comes from, but slavery is necessary evil that must be allowed to prevent greater suffering, this display of savagery…"

She was cut off by a yell of anger, as the stasis around the human was somehow dispelled. She was so surprised and shocked, that she wasn't able to react in time. Shepard activated a biotic charge and materialise directly in front of the matriarch. Without even stopping he grabbed her by the throat, lifted her into the air and slammed her onto the dining table, breaking it in half.

"You understand nothing," he yelled, before lifting her up and slamming her into the ground again, "imagine if Liara was ripped away from you," he said slammed her down again, "imagine if you never saw her again," another slam, "imagine crying every night, not knowing if she was dead or alive," another slam, "imagine being terrified at the thought of her being used as some sick bastards pleasure toy," another slam, "imagine that you hypocritical bitch."

He looked down at the Asari. Blood was running down her face, her once beautiful dress had many large tears and it. She was barely even conscious.

_It would be so easy to kill right now_ he mused.

"STOP!" He turned around to find the source of the shout.

Liara has something displayed on her omni-tool, she pressed button before he could see what it was.

Suddenly his own omni-tool activated flashing up, he quickly looked down at it.

It was his slave contract, Liara had just terminated it.

He looked back up at her, "There, you're free now," tears were running down her face, and her entire body trembled, "I have removed the amount of credits equal to what we paid to acquire you. The rest is yours, as you said you owe us nothing," her voice was trembling with each word.

She looked down at the ground, unable to look him in the eye at this moment, "please leave," she said barely above a whisper.

Shepard's expression didn't change from the deep frown he had, he simply grabbed his bag containing the few items he possessed, and began to walk out the door.

"Jonathan," Liara called out to him, "I am so sorry. I am so sorry that our civilisation is so awful, that it destroyed the good man who saved my life once. I am sorry I was so ignorant of your pain. I am sorry… for everything."

Shepard paused for a minute, as if acknowledging her apology, but then continued out of the apartment.

Atheyta, finally snapped out of her shock, walked up to her daughter, "I'll let him crash at my cafe for tonight, then take him to the de-processing centre tomorrow, check the others," she said trying and failing to sound reassuring, before running after the human.

Liara looked around her apartment, at her roommate, slumped against the wall. Her colleague, lying unconscious on the floor. Her mother, looking worse than the shattered table she was lying on.

Liara couldn't control herself any longer.

She fell to her knees, and wept into her hands.


	17. Chapter 17: Your own path

A/N_: Italics_ indicate internal thought.

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

In response to reviews

**Cullen Walsh: **Thanks

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* * *

**Your Own Path**

* * *

**Location: Citadel Presidium Commons, Apollo Cafe**

**Date: 30th November, 2180**

**Time: 0900 CST**

Aethyta rubbed her eyes in a futile attempt to alleviate some of the fatigue she was feeling. After dropping John off here last night, she quickly went back to her own apartment, and all but collapsed onto her bed. However, she had barely slept, her mind still reeling from the events that had taken place.

With sluggish movements she opened the cafe door. Most days she would have gotten here much earlier, to prepare the place for the customers, but right now the last thing she wanted to do was deal with that. She had even instructed Peggy to remain at home.

Looking around the empty tables and chairs her gaze landed upon the source of all of her worry and concern.

When she dropped him off, despite telling him about a bed in one of the back rooms he could use, he just slumped in one of the chairs. The same chair he was still sitting in, simply staring out of the windows. He didn't even acknowledge she was there.

_Goddess did that kid sleep at all _she wondered.

The matriarch lowered her head as she remembered what the human had been like when they'd first met. He still had a lot of fire and spirit within him, unlike many human slaves she had encountered. She also knew he had saved Liara's life, something she was extremely grateful for. But the best thing she remembered was that he was actually extremely friendly, that despite the fact he lived in a galaxy where many would consider him as nothing but a pet or an object, he tried to be a genuinely good person towards Tali and Liara.

Now when she looked to him, she felt every nerve in her body tense up, as if every instinct was telling her to get away from this being as fast as she could. And she couldn't say getting far away from this human sounded like a terrible idea. She had seen some of the fights he had competed in, calling them brutal was a gross understatement. The way he had almost effortlessly beaten Benezia, the anger, the rage that exploded from him. Aethyta couldn't remember the last time she was genuinely afraid for her life, until that moment.

She let out a deep sigh, she shouldn't be surprised at this. She had seen how the Galaxy had changed; she knew what it was like now. It was a place where good people couldn't get by any more. They either died, or 'changed' to suit the times.

She slowly walked towards Shepard, "you okay?" she asked. John turned his head to give her a hard stare, as if to say 'are you serious'. Aethyta swallowed her nerves, "well I just need to pick up a few things. Then we'll head to the de-processing centre."

John turned to stare back out of the window, "If they want to come and talk to me, they can come and talk to me." He said in a tone cold as ice, he wasn't in the mood for beating around the bush.

Aethyta's breath caught in her throat as he said that. She quickly composed herself and walked into one of the back rooms of the café.

A second after she did the café's door opened again, and Karin Chakwas walked in.

Dressed in her doctor's uniform, Chakwas walked with confidence towards Shepard, in complete contrast to Aethyta's apprehension.

She drew up another chair and sat down next to him.

A tense silence continued between them for a few moments.

Shepard rolled his eyes, tired of how Karen was seemingly dragging it out, "you heard about what happened then?" He asked in a grim tone.

"Well I had to admit I was slightly concerned about the state in which Mordin was admitted to the hospital," she replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Maybe he should be more considerate about sticking needles in people," he responded humourlessly.

"Perhaps he could just attack people who are genuinely worried about him," Chakwas responded, sarcasm dripping from her lips. The Doctor took a deep breath, and placed her hands firmly on the table and turned to face him, "your anger is not unwarranted Jonathan, but you need to remember that people like Tali and Liara are not your enemy," she stated in a genuinely concerned tone.

John's mind started reminiscing as she said that. He recalled the times he and Tali had laughed together, working on engineering projects. He remembered the way Liara had cared for his injuries after the casino.

_They genuinely cared for me, didn't they… they treated me like a friend…they saved me. I wanted to earn the credits to pay them back… _he thought.

"_**You believe in that outdated ideology? You wanted to repay your dept to them? What of the dept of pain and suffering their people owe humanity." **_The voice internally roared, cutting off his thoughts.

Shepard tensed up, he turned to meet Karin's gaze with an aggressive scowl on his face, "their people" he started venomously, "treat our kind as nothing more than property they can own. They act like we should be eternally grateful for the despicable way they treat us, because they didn't exterminate humanity. They constantly parade around as a morally superior people, all the while these vermin practice this abomination called slavery!" He slammed his fist onto to the table, "how could they be anything but an enemy," he yelled.

Karin barley reacted to his increase in volume, "I'm not blind to the suffering of humans on the Citadel Shepard," she then gained a faraway look, "do you think I haven't seen countless humans abused by their masters. You think I'm not thankful every day that I was purchased by someone like Mordin Solus-"

"And what about all the others who aren't lucky like you," John interrupted, "do you think about all the people who had bright promising futures snatched away by slaver bastards. How many human kids that wanted to be doctors are spending their lives as some squints pleasure slave, or wasting their lives in a boneface weapon factory," he was practically yelling in her face now.

Chakwas quickly looked away," I… I try not to think about it," she whispered.

Shepard sneered, looking away from her," of course, ignorance is bliss right,"

Karin narrowed her eyes at Shepard before saying forcefully, "perhaps you should recall that I know half a dozen different ways to kill you without leaving any evidence."

Shepard's hand moved so fast, she only saw a flash of metal, and heard a thud coming from the table.

Slowly looking down, she saw that Shepard had embedded his combat knife in the table. Right between two of her fingers.

He gave her a deadly look, "And I've learned of ways to hurt you, that would leave you a whimpering mess. Incapable of performing minor feats without your body exploding in agony."

A cruel smirk formed on his face, "would your masters show you such concerned then? Or would he put you down like a wounded animal, so he wouldn't have to care for it?"

Karin flinched at that statement, she let out a deep sigh and got back to feet.

Just before leaving she turned to look at Shepard, "do you even remember why you were fighting in that place to begin with? Can't you see what it's done to you?" She said in a pitying tone.

Once again Shepard didn't react, the elderly doctor walked out, while shaking her head.

"Is there anyone else?" Shepard called out in a bored expression.

"No. Let's go," Aethyta stated.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Huerta memorial.**

**Time: 0930 CST**

Liara walked into one of the private rooms in the hospital. Lying on the bed, with multiple medical coverings on her face, and with many bandages hidden beneath the sheet of the hospital bed, was one of the most powerful matriarchs in the entire Asari republic.

Her mother.

Shiala, along with three other commandos were positioned around the room.

Benezia turned her head as Liara entered and smiled at her daughter.

Liara sat down in the nearby chair, to be more level with her, "are you feeling any better mother?" she asked.

The matriarch, slowly and with a great deal of pain, managed to push herself up to a sitting position, "the painkillers are dealing with the worst of it for now. But I have been informed it will be a few weeks before I am completely healed," she said her voice still weak.

"I still cannot believe a human, injured you so severely my matriarch," Shiala stated, surprise evident in her voice.

Liara looked down, crestfallen at the mention of Shepard, "we have learned that he acquired combat experience from… a very dark source," she croaked.

One of the other commandos clinched their fist, "are we supposed to just let this insult stand? This human should be punished for his vile act," she growled.

Liara's head shot up and she fixed the commando with a hard stare, "we are not going to do anything to him," her gaze returned downwards, "we have caused him enough suffering already," she was still having trouble getting the words out.

All three commandos seem extremely taken aback at that statement.

Benezia gently reached out and grasped her daughter's hand, "I promise little wing, none of us here will trouble him," she said gently.

"But matriarch…" The commando tried to protest.

Benezia fixed her with a firm look, "Do I need to remind you that Shepard is responsible for killing several Asari. The majority of which had commando training," she remarked. This caused her subordinate to quickly deflate.

She looked back at her daughter, "this ordeal has not been easy for you either Liara," she said with concern.

Liara let out a deep sigh, "I cannot deny the truth behind his words cut very deep," Liara said.

Benezia's eyes widened in concern slightly, "Liara, Shepard's comments on our people were made in his rash anger,"

Liara looked at her mother with grief-stricken eyes, "it does not change the fact mother. Our people present themselves as the lovers of diplomacy and freedom, but we keep human's enslaved and say that should be their place in the galaxy. Because we claim to be a wiser species, but the truth is we support this evil because so many Asari find humans pleasurable," The young Asari said with a great deal of disdain.

Benezia immediately tensed up in concern and gained a panicked look on her face, "it is not wise to express thoughts like that so publicly Liara," she said in a half-scared tone.

Liara looked to her mother confused," mother I am of citizen of the Asari republic, I'm allowed to freely express my opinion," she looks back down sullenly, "unlike humans that is."

Benezia gave a quick glance around the room, as if searching for something, "Liara, I am not blind to the harm that slavery causes but…" she tried to say.

"Then why don't you fight against it?" Liara interrupted, looking at her mother directly in the eye," with your influence you could actually do something to stop this,"

The matriarch looked away and remain silent for a moment, before quietly saying," I am afraid there is little I could…"

"Little you could do?" Liara yelled, rising to her feet, "you are one of the most influential matriarchs on Thessia. Entire colonies go out of their way to do your bidding. How can there be little that you can do?"

Benezia looked down into her lap, while stuttering trying to find the right words to say, "There are… certain parties… that believe…" She couldn't even finish.

Liara looked down at her mother, "you know when I was growing up with you as a child. One of the things I remember about you most vividly is that no one could ever stop you from doing what you believed was right. No one could ever dissuade you or force you to turn around. Tell me, when did that change?" she said with a great deal of disappointment and walked out of the room.

Benezia held her head in her hand, "if only you could understand," she whispered.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Liara took several deep breaths as she leaned against the wall. She would not allow herself to cry here. When she got home, she would cry for hours into her bed, but she would not cry here. There was someone else she needed to see.

_Shepard was right our entire people are just another race of slavers like the Batarians. We just try to delude ourselves._

Liara was brought out of her musings by an extremely unpleasant yell, "HEY, WHORE,"

Liara turned her head to see Balak. He was wearing a Hegemony military uniform, but with her doctor's eye, she could see he was limping badly, had massive cuts and bruises all over his face, and was clutching what were most likely broken ribs.

"WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS YOUR SLAVE?" The enraged Batarian yelled.

A week ago, Liara might have found the sight of him terrifying. But now, after seeing Shepard, he wasn't even mildly intimidating.

"He is no longer a slave brute, he may go anywhere he chooses," she said calmly.

This only proceeded to make Balak angrier, "Asari bitch, where is he?" He roared, lunging at her.

His hand was half a metre away from Liara's throat, when another hand shot out, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it behind his back.

Shiala gave the Batarian's arm another jerk, before speaking into his ear, "I highly advise you to get your filthy carcass out of this establishment Batarian."

The commando proceeded to push the Batarian forward, and emphasised the point by kicking him up the backside.

Balak gave both Asari a hateful glare, before turning around and walking away.

Shiala turned towards Liara, "are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you Shiala," Liara responded numbly.

The commando nodded and began to make her way back towards her matriarch's room, when Liara suddenly called out to her, "Wait Shiala, I was hoping that you could convince my mother to let you help me with…"

Shiala turned towards the younger Asari, "what is it you need?" she questioned.

Liara took a moment to take a deep breath before she responded, "I want you to give me combat training,"

* * *

**000**

* * *

Balak punched the wall of the hospital corridor. An act he immediately regretted, as pain flared through his side, he recoiled back clutching his injured ribs.

_I'll head to that bitch's squalor tonight, I will make her tell me where that fucking human is._

A horrific smirk formed on his face as he continued his inner dialogue.

_And of course, after that, I will be able to enjoy her fine body._

He was brought out of his thoughts, by his omni-tool, he was receiving a call.

As soon as Balak saw the caller ID, his eyes widened in fear, he gulped before answering the call.

"What were you doing?" The voice was digitally masked, masking all traces of its identity, but the threatening tone could easily be recognised.

"I…I was…I was fig- "The Batarian tried pathetically to come up with an excuse.

"Do you think I have the patience for your infantile distractions?" The voice asked rhetorically.

"I…I had heard…there was a human…I needed to…" Balak tried to explain to himself.

"Allow me to explain your reasoning, seeing as you are currently unable too," the voice responded with clear impatience," you heard about a human gladiator who was gaining an impressive amount of victories. And in your typical arrogance, challenged him. The result of course, was you were defeated utterly."

Balak just gritted his teeth in response.

"And you fail to understand how badly you almost compromised our true objective," the anger still clear in the digital voice, "are you that ignorant of how fragile your position is?"

"My position- "Balak tried to protest.

"Silence," the voice commanded, "consider what would happen if your superiors found out about this defeat. Your standing with them stems from the combat abilities you demonstrated. If they were to learn about this, they would immediately drop all support of you. I trust I do not need to explain to you the punishment you would receive for humiliating the Hegemony."

Balak didn't respond.

"Now you will put this petty desire for revenge to the side. You have finally reached the desired position, and it is time to move onto the next stage of our plan," the voice explained.

Balak nodded his head.

"Once you are fully healed you will head to Korlus to meet the contact. You are going to be very busy in the Terminus systems for the foreseeable future," said the voice.

"Understood, I know what the final goal is," Balak responded.

"I suppose I should also congratulate you on your new position. Ka'hairal Balak the first Batarian Spectre," the voice finished as he ended the call.

_I'll put it aside it for now, but when the time is right, that stinking human will pay for my humiliation_

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Zakera Ward, Rotin Auction House.**

**Time: 1030 CST**

Shepard's teeth were gritted in rage, at the site before him. Unfortunately, de-processing centres were only in one type of place, inside slave auction houses.

As he and Aethyta entered the building, they were met with the room that looked like a standard reception area. A female Batarian sitting behind a desk, looked up and gave them a warm smile.

"Hello, welcome to Rotin auction house, how may I help you?" She said in an overly sweet voice. Shepard could tell that that was directed at Aethyta and not him.

As the matriarch walked up to the desk, Shepard's gaze was drawn to an open door in the building that led to one of the auction rooms. He knew that this auction house was comparatively small, with only three auction rooms.

John's anger only increased as he saw an auction was actually taking place through the door. He saw a well-dressed Batarian pulling a young human woman up onto the stage. She was completely naked, except of course for a metallic collar around her neck. The was trying, in vain, to cover herself. The auctioneer proceeded to grip the girls chin and forced her to face upwards.

He began talking, but Shepard had stopped paying attention at that point. It took every ounce of his self-control not to barge into that room and slaughter every xeno in there.

_Those fucking bastards, she's barely older than Lizzy _John mused in rage.

"—pard. Shepard!" Aethyta called and placed a hand on the human's shoulder.

Snapping out of his thoughts Shepard turned to look at her. She gestured in the direction of the Batarian sectary who was currently typing on a terminal in front of her.

She carried on typing for a few more seconds, before stopping and looking up at both of them, the smile plastered back on the face. "Alright, everything is in order. Your slave contract has been terminated. Now please proceed to room 2 for the surgical part of the de-processing," she said, gesturing towards another closed door.

John's only response was to give a low growl. Aethyta quickly cut in, hoping that she could get the human through this entire process before something snapped, "we will, thank you," said the matriarch,

John followed Aethyta into what looked like a standard medical check-up room, similar to ones he had seen before at Huerta Memorial. There was a simple examination couch in the middle of the room, with a strange laser pointer like device, on the end of the robotic arm similar to medical examination light.

There was a female Turian in a white medical uniform standing there. She looked at both of them with a smile, "hello there, you must be Jonathan Shepard. Please sit down on the bench and will get this whole procedure over in no time," she said in a friendly voice.

The scowl didn't leave John's face as he sat himself down on the bench.

The Turian pressed a button on her omni-tool, which in turn activated the device hanging down above Shepard. The arm moved to position the device closely behind his head, then began to scan Shepard.

"Alright first I'm going to administer a mild painkiller, so you won't feel anything throughout this-" the Turian began.

"No painkillers," Shepard said forcefully.

The Turian looked at him in slight shock," this is a surgical procedure it's-" she tried to reason with him.

"I said no. I've had my fill of people sticking things in me," John countered narrowing his eyes at her again.

The Turian quickly looked over at Aethyta, who only looked down sadly in response. The Turian let out deep sigh before activating the tool again, "Al…Alright, beginning with extraction of tracking implant."

John felt a small blade pierced the back of his neck, then small metal tweezers entered the incision, and pulled out a small device.

The Turian seemed completely shocked by his lack of reaction and stared for a second," Do you also wish for the removal of the translator implant?" she asked shakily.

"No," John grunted in response.

"Alright, final stage, removal of barcode and other identifying marks." She explained.

The device than let out a small red beam, and began to burn away the barcode tattooed on the back of his neck.

The minute the device shutdown, Shepard grabbed his bag and walked out of the auction house, ignoring the protests of the Turian. He couldn't stand to be in that damn place any longer.

As he walked down the street as fast as he could without breaking into a run, Aethyta called out to him.

Shepard turned around to face the matriarch as she caught up with him and looked him in the eye.

"Kid…Please…Get on a transport off the Citadel, and go home," she pleaded with him.

John's response was to give her a hard glare," unless you haven't gone the message squid, I don't need to take orders from a xeno anymore," he stated.

Aethyta could only hold her head in her hands as he walked away.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, **

**Time: 1000 CST**

Shepard walked through the busy streets of the Lower Wards, looking for one of the rundown hotels he knew were located around. Even though he had the cash to pay for the most expensive hotels on the Citadel, he knew he'd be kicked out at the reception as a vagrant simply because he was a human. Besides, down here he would attract less attention.

However, Shepard's attention wasn't on trying to find a new place to crash, it was on the individual, that his instincts were telling him, had been following him for a while. Quickly, he turned into a smaller back alley, and sure enough he heard dull thudding footsteps behind him.

"What do you want Wrex?" he called out and turned around to face the Krogan Battlemaster.

Wrex's face was fixed in a scowl, "figured we needed to talk about what you did last night kid," he stated.

"Did what?" Shepard responded calmly," beat up some hypocritical squid, if you expect me to apologise for that don't bother,"

"and what about Tali?" Wrex asked.

John's eyes narrowed, "what about her?" he questioned back.

"Guessing you didn't get a good look while you were beating up the Salarian or the matriarch. She had a pretty big crack on her mask Shepard," Wrex said, slowly walking towards the human as he did so.

John just stared at the Krogan for a second before responding, "I didn't see that."

"Maybe you should imagine what would have happened if you hit her a little bit harder," Wrex growled, "you could have actually shattered her visor,"

Shepard actually flinched and lowered his head at that remark, but Wrex wasn't done.

"You could have killed her," the Krogan finished.

_What?...Oh god what if she'd got an infection...I would never want her… _John thought, horrified.

"_**What loss would that suit-rat's death be?"**_ The voice whispered.

Shepard clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, "what do you want from me Wrex?" he said.

"I want you to tell me the truth Shepard," Wrex said, pointing a finger accusingly at the human.

"I've got nothing to tell you," John responded and turned away from the Krogan.

Wrex grabbed the human by his shoulder threw him into the side of the wall, he pressed his forearm against Shepard's throat.

"Why Shepard?" He roared, "you won enough fights, you earned enough credits, you could have gone home, why did you keep fighting?"

Shepard yelled in response, he then head-butted Wrex. The Krogan was sent stumbling back, stunned by both the impact, and the human's sheer strength. Before he could recover, Shepard delivered a right hook to the side of his face.

Wrex spat out some blood before fixing the human with another hard stare, "You claim you killed those other gladiators because it will prevent them from killing others," Wrex yelled, he then charged at Shepard and slammed him back against the wall, "but we both know that's not why you really did it."

_Why did I? Why did I keep fighting…keep killing? _Shepard asked himself.

"_**You already know" **_the voice responded.

With Shepard once again pinned against the wall Wrex yelled in his face, "you don't kill them because you had to, so tell me why?"

"Because I wanted to!" Shepard yelled back at the Krogan, he then used a biotic throw to send the Krogan flying onto his back," because I liked it!"

Wrex got back up to his feet while Shepard took several deep breaths, "All the time I've spent on this damn station, everyone treated me like nothing but a bug they can step on. But in the arena, I can show them how superior they truly are. I like seeing that pleading look in their eyes as they beg for mercy, and I like seeing the light in their eyes go out as I end them, I like proving I'm better than them," he said quietly, as if admitting it to himself for the first time.

Wrex stared with a neutral expression, "when I first met you, you were a good person."

Shepard looked at Wrex incredulously, "good? good people don't last in this galaxy Wrex. You should know that, you tried to do the 'right' for your people once."

Wrex flinched, as his mind drifted back to that day at the Hollows on Tuchanka.

Wrex look turned to one of disappointment, "It's easy isn't it, when everything in the Galaxy just causes you pain, the easiest option is to cause pain back. Believe me I know that."

Shepard turned around, "You gave up on the people that live in this wretched galaxy, so don't lecture me because I realized there aren't any righteous, or kind people here."

Shepard could hear that the Krogan wasn't following him. And he was glad, that entire exchange had only sought to make him angrier than he already was. He needed some way to releases his aggression.

He activated his omni-tool, "Thrax, when is the next fight?" he asked grimly.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Bachjret ward. T'soni apartment.**

**Time: 1200 CST**

Miranda was watching through the window into the apartment. She saw the Krogan, Urdnot Wrex, speaking to Tali Zorah.

She couldn't hear what they were saying, but after the Krogan finished, the Quarian held her helmeted head in her hands. Even hidden behind the mask, Miranda could tell she was crying.

Wrex responded by pulling her into a hug, and let her cry into his shoulder.

Miranda could only sigh despairingly at the exchange.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Presidium financial district. Consort's Chambers.**

**Time: 1230 CST**

"If Shepard continues down this dark path, he's only going to get worse," Miranda stated.

Shia'ira hummed for a second, "truthfully I was not completely sure, that this would dissuade him from the downward spiral he has found himself on." She said.

She suddenly looked up, "I believe, if Shepard is to realise how far he has fallen, we will require something…. closer to home," she stated as if realising something.

She made a call, "Saren," she stated, "this is Shia'ira, I am aware that you have a human cadet in your class, an Elizabeth Shepard,"


	18. Chapter 18:Falling Further into Darkness

A/N: _Italics _indicate internal thought.

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Falling Further into Darkness**

* * *

**Location: Citadel Lower Wards, The Pit**

**Date: 15th December, 2180**

**Time: 2300 CST**

A Turian was sent stumbling back, blue blood running down his cracked mandible. The punch also caused him to drop his sword. Reacting quickly, Shepard charged forward, grabbed the sword with his left hand, stepped past the Turian's right side, then skillfully flipping the sword into a reverse grip and drove the blade into the Turian's back.

Before his first victim hit the ground, John tossed the blade to his right hand, and blocked a downward swing from the sword of a Batarian, coming from his right. He responded by punching the Batarian in chest with his left hand, and felt the armour crack under the impact, along with a few ribs. As his opponent gasped out in pain and coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood, John pulled back the sword and proceeded to decapitate him.

Shepard twisted to the left, barley avoiding another Turian slamming his massive maul into the ground, where he had stood a second ago. With a downwards slash, John severed the Turian's right arm at the elbow. Before the Turian could even howl in agony, Shepard grabbed him by the throat. John momentarily looked into the Turian's eyes, and saw the sheer terror behind them, before quickly proceeding to crush the Turian's neck. John turned to face an Asari wielding two swords, she struck at him but John effortlessly parried the blows, he then delivered a roundhouse kick into the left side of her face, sending her spinning away from him. As she was facing away from him now, Shepard ran forward and embedded his sword in her exposed back, leaving it in her as she fell to the ground.

Shepard looked towards his last opponent, another Batarian. John brought his fists up in a fighting position. The Batarian swung his sword at him, John sidestepped to his right and delivered two powerful jabs to his opponent's face. This sent the Batarian stumbling back.

"_**Make him suffer. Make him pay," **_John gave an animalistic growl.

He slammed his foot into the Batarian's knee, a sickening snap filled the arena. As the man fell onto his back, John kneeled on his chest, and unleashed an immense barrage of punches into his face. He didn't stop when the Batarian stopped struggling. He didn't stop when the Batarian stopped breathing. He stopped when his fists were too slick with blood to land an effective punch.

John slowly stood up and surveyed the five corpses spread across the arena floor. The stands were silent.

_Of course they are, they've never seen one person win against five gladiators,_ he mused.

"_**And five less vermin in the galaxy,"**_

Shepard ignored the voice, he knew that he had been fighting at an increasing rate. He kept fighting, because he didn't have time to think about what had happened with Tali and Liara when he was fighting.

"_Do you even remember why you are fighting to begin with?" _Chakwas' parting words flashed in his mind, he could only growl in response.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Tayseri Ward, Dravo salvage yard**

**Date: 25th December 2180**

**Time: 1300 CST**

Shepard was currently seated at his work bench, soldering a device. It looked like several electro-magnets, positioned in a ring about 8cm in diameter. John deactivated his omni-tool and picked up the device, flipping it around to view it from several angles. Satisfied, Shepard proceeded to place it into a cylindrical casing, with several wires protruding, these he proceeded to connect to the ring. He picked up another component, about the size of a lipstick tube, and slotted it through the centre of the ring. Finally, he placed a clear disc on top, covering the workings of the device. The device was about the same size as a small can.

Shepard gave a small smile; he had been working on this for a while. Ever since his powers had appeared, he had been trying to gain a better understanding of the energy he could generate. He hadn't been able to find an upper limit to the amount he could generate, as any attempt to measure it simply shorted out the device, or in more extreme cases, caused an explosion. He could channel it into the components of his suit, but he couldn't do it too much without frying them.

Shepard had discovered that he had to constantly focus on the level of energy he was generating, so as not to increase it to the point it would be too much for the suit, this resulted in him having to split his attention slightly during fights. He also realised that most of the generated energy was simply dissipating because it didn't have a specific target, meaning a lot of it ended up being wasted.

However, he theorised, that if he was able to build something that could contain the energy, then he could find a way to regulate it. This meant that he could simply rely on the stored energy to power his suit and also remove the risk of short circuiting the components. It could even increase the total power available for the suit.

At least in theory.

John reached over and grabbed one of the large cables connected to the device, another cable connected the device to a depowered terminal. Shepard activated his omni-tools recording function, "initiating test seven, of ARC battery," he said.

Shepard focused all of his mental faculties on generating the smallest amount of energy he could. The device began to light up a deep red, the same colour as the lightening he generated. The terminal connected to it, also activated and displayed a value for the amount of power the ARC battery was currently containing. Shepard grimaced at the site.

_This is the lowest I can do and it already looks like it's fully powered_, he thought.

Reluctantly Shepard increase the energy he was generating by a small amount. The number on the monitor increased more rapidly. The light of the battery intensified.

BOOOM!

Shepard pulled up his hands to shield his face from the blast. He then pulled them away and had a look at his prototype. It was charred black, and many of the internal components had actually melted.

Shepard let out a deep sigh before activating his omni-tool again, "test seven results, prototype seven exceeded previous parameters but still a long way from the desired result."

Shepard looked back down at the charred remains of the battery. He couldn't even tell if this was a design issue, none of the materials he currently had access to were able to withstand the sheer amount of energy.

_Bet Tali would have some idea how to make this work, Tali would come up with…._ He immediately cut off that line of thinking. He slammed his fist into the workbench as his irises began glowing red. He had done it again, whenever he thought about them, he couldn't help himself from thinking about what had happened a few weeks ago, he couldn't think about that without getting angry.

"_**You act as if that suit rat wanted you for anything other than to experience the pleasure her kind are denied due to their own arrogance,"**_

Shepard turned around, reflected in one of the large sheets of metal he had moved in here, was the shadowy figure in the place of his reflection.

John simply glared at it, "they're not important anymore," he stated. He was partially relieved as he saw the dark figure dissipate, revealing his reflection in the metal again.

"Well you're really having a great time aren't you Shepard. Christmas day and your stuck talking to yourself," he mumbled. He closed his eyes and began to think of… better times.

* * *

**000**

* * *

_Mindoir's sun was setting, bathing the sky in a beautiful red colour._

_John was sitting around a large table that he and his dad had moved out onto their patio. The entire family had just finish off a wonderful Christmas dinner, courtesy of his mum's stellar cooking skills. The two skeletal remains of turkeys present in the centre of the table was evidence enough of that. John had never understood where in the navy his mother had picked up cooking skills like that._

_He remembered this. This was Christmas day… three years ago._

_He looked behind him to see the three-story farmhouse, the house he had grown up in. Despite his fond memories of the place, growing up and working on Mindoir had been hard, being forced to use farming techniques centuries out of date. Even though the house looked nice on the outside, John remembered having to solder the wires in the house to keep the lights working, and sort out the plumbing to keep toilets functioning. The downside of the Hierarchy's huge trade embargoes._

_But despite all that, there were plenty of fun memories of his home._

_He turned his gaze forward again and looked around the table, he saw his two sisters, Liz and Jenny, sitting across from each other, their arms locked together as they prepared to arm wrestle. People often said that John looked a lot like a younger version of his dad, well Liz's fiery red hair and sea green eyes gave her an uncanny resemblance to their mum. In contrast, Jen stood out against the rest of the family, being an albino, her snow-white hair and red eyes evident. Both girls had well-built physiques for their age, due to all the physical work they did._

_Acting as the judge for girls' arm wrestling competition was his younger brother Hector. He had a lot in common with John in terms of appearance, except that his skin was slightly paler and he had inherited, their mother's green eyes. He slammed his fist against the table, and his two sisters began to strain against each other._

_Looking to his other side, he saw Molly and Arthur cheering on their older sisters. The younger set of twins both shared the same light brown hair, and blue eyes, but being 11 years old, weren't as big as their elder siblings yet._

_And behind them he saw his parents seated on either side of his youngest sister Abigail. His mother, Hannah, had her arm draped around her youngest daughter's shoulder as they both looked amused at the festivities. His father was laughing heartily at his two elder daughters' shenanigans._

_Jenny tried as hard as she could, but Liz's age gave her too much of an advantage, and she eventually pushed her younger sisters hand onto the table._

_Many cheers and groans came from the people sitting round the table, until their mum stood up holding her hands up to silence everyone. She turned towards Abigail with a smile, the young girl walked forward into full view of everyone, and began to sing,_

"_you will find me on Mindoir,_

_on the side of a hill,_

_when the summer is peaceful and high,_

_there where streamlets meander the valley is still,_

_Neath the blue of a calm cloudless sky._

_Look for me at dawn,_

_when the world is asleep,_

_till each dew drop is kissed by the day,_

_beneath the Rowan and alder, a vigil I'll keep_

_every moment that you are away._

_The world gently turns as the seasons change slowly,_

_all the flowers and leaves born to wane,_

_hear my song cross the stars, like the wind soft and slowly,_

_and come home to Mindoir again."_

_He had missed moments like this._

* * *

_He was now in his bedroom, he reached down under his bed to grab something, pulled out a rectangular wrapped present just able to fit in his hand._

"_You're really gonna sneak out to give that to her?" a voice asked._

_John turned around to see Liz standing in the doorway, a mischievous smirk on her face._

"_You know how hard I worked to get this sis," he responded holding the present up._

"_I know, but sneaking out of here at this time of night, how much do you like this girl John?" She asked again, while chuckling. She then gave him a happy smile, "go on then, Dad taught you it's rude to keep a lady waiting."_

"_Thanks Liz," he responded, before jogging out of the house._

_After what must've been half an hour of jogging, John had finally made it to a small wooded area, just outside the fields his family-owned. _

_And she was waiting there, her dark brown hair tied up in a pony tail, a beautiful smile on her perfect face._

"_Hey there, inviting me out to see the beautiful starry sky, is this your attempt at being romantic Shepard?" Ashley Williams said mischievously._

"_Well you've got to find beautiful views where you can. On this planet we have large open fields, forests, some small hills….and yep that's everything," he responded with sarcasm._

_Ashley gave a chuckle at that statement, "well ladies first," she said while handing Shepard her present._

_John quickly tore the wrapping of the present, is eyes widened at the site, "how the hell were you able to get this?" He asked in shock as in his hands was the model for the SSV Everest, the flagship of the Alliance first fleet._

_Ashley smiled at him, "I've always known you to been a fan of model ships, and that's one of the rarest," she said._

_John passed her his present, Ashley unwrapped it to reveal a small book, "The Collected Works of Alfred Tennyson," she read the title, shocked._

_John nervously rubbed the back of his head, "well I hear you quoting plenty of his poems I thought…"_

_Ashley looked at him for a moment, before Shepard could realise what was happening, she had wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. John's surprise lasted two seconds, before he reached around her back and pulled her in._

_John didn't know how long it had lasted, but it felt wonderful._

_Ashley slowly pulled away from him, "Merry Christmas farmboy," she said before she quickly made her way back home._

_John just stared after her completely stunned._

"_**Feeling sentimental,"**__ he heard a rasping voice from behind him. Turning around he saw a figure, seemingly made of shadow, its demonic red eyes glaring at him. John didn't have any time to react before the figure practically exploded, enveloping everything in darkness._

* * *

**000**

* * *

John gasped as he sat up, trying to catch his breath.

He turned back towards the reflective sheet of metal, and once again the figure made of shadows had taken the place of his reflection, "you even have to ruin it when I'm remembering stuff like that," he said aggressively, as he stood back up.

"_**Yes Christmas, a time for family to be together. Something especially important in this age…. Where families being torn apart and destroyed is a daily occurrence for humans," **_it rasped.

Shepard's thoughts immediately went to the billions of humans across the galaxy that were spending their Christmas as slaves to xeno vermin. He clenched his fists, as his iris's flared red and red lightning began to surge around his fists.

He slammed his fist into the table. It buckled under the force, and was completely flattened.

Shepard gritted his teeth and let out a deep growl.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel Lower Wards**

**Date: 20th January, 2181**

**Time: 0200 CST**

Shepard readjusted his hood to make sure it was completely obscuring his face. He had just emerged from the pit, once again victorious from another fight.

_Another super easy fight, I can't have seriously killed all the decent gladiators already _he wondered.

He proceeded through the back alleys, making his way back to his shitty apartment. He could take the more direct, and public routes, but having to break the limbs of human hating scum, or slavers who wanted to sell him, had gotten tedious. So, he decided to take the quieter back alleyways, to avoid attention.

Suddenly he heard the sound of a feminine scream of terror coming from the alleyway on his left.

_Guess I'm not the only one who thinks these places are good to avoid attention, _he thought, heading towards the scream.

Peeking around the corner, he saw a trio consisting of two Batarians and a Turian, with a female Quarian. One of the Batarians and the Turian were holding the Quarian against the wall, while the other Batarian was feeling her up, while holding a knife in his right hand.

"You made a huge mistake coming down here suit rat," he said, full of venom, his expression turned sadistic as he ran his empty hand down the side of her body," but your body's nice enough, so we're gonna take our time, so do yourself a favour. Don't scream again,"

Shepard's anger flared at the display, he stepped around the corner, making his presence known. All four of the aliens turned to look at him.

"What the fuck are you doing here slave?" the lead Batarian said angrily.

"Not a slave squint. Let her go, and this all goes easy," Shepard responded emotionlessly.

All three of them burst out laughing, "look at this boys, the ape thinks he's our equal. We found her first human, you want some time with her, you have to wait your turn," a nasty snicker escaped from his lips," assuming of course, disease hasn't killed her by the time we're done," the three of them began laughing again.

John irises flared red, hidden beneath his hood.

He activated his biotics, and deliver the biotic charge, right into the chest of the leading Batarian, sending him flying several feet down alleyway, before landing on his back. The other two stared in shock. They turn their gaze back to Shepard who just looked at them with his arms folded.

The Turian and the other Batarian released the Quarian, drew their own knives, and charged at John.

The Turian reached the human first, John sidestepped to the right to dodge a strike. He then delivered a side kick into the Turian's midsection, knocking him into the wall. The Batarian brought his knife in a downward strike from Shepard's left. Without even looking, Shepard reached up and grabbed the Batarian's arm with his left hand. Then he drove his right fist into the Batarian's right elbow, breaking his arm. The Batarian dropped his knife as he screamed in pain. Quickly, John grabbed the knife while it was falling, then slashed it across the Batarian's throat, letting him fall to the ground as he choked on his own blood.

Shepard turned his attention back to the Turian, who started to get back to his knees. While he was recovering, Shepard walked up behind him, grabbed his head, and slammed it into the wall. John repeated this several times, until there was a large blue splatter on the wall, and the Turian had gone limp.

"Fuck you! Human filth!" Shepard turned towards the source of the shout to see the first Batarian had pulled out a gun, he opened fire but Shepard just raised a biotic barrier, absorbing the shots. John cast a biotic pull, sending the Batarian flying at him. John clothes lined the airborne Batarian, sending him head over heels, and his gun flying from his grasp.

Shepard gripped the downed Batarian by the throat, and lifted him up into the air. He felt his rage at an all-time high, he could practically hear the power within him screaming out at him.

And this time he answered it.

Red lightning began to surge from his hand, it then spread all across the Batarian's body. The Quarian brought her hands to her mouth piece, and stared in horror, as the Batarian's muscles begin to shrivel up, as his skin became pale and ash like, and as the life vanished from his eyes.

The red lightning subsided, and John dropped the shrivelled, almost skeletal, remains of the Batarian to the ground. The body barely reacted to the impact, seemingly having frozen up from whatever was done to it.

Shepard stared at his hand for a moment, _never done anything like that before _he thought.

"st….sta…stay away from me," a terrified voice said from behind.

John turned around to see the Quarian had grabbed the Batarian's fallen gun and was now pointing it at him.

"I mean….I mean it, stay back," she stammered.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," Shepard tried to say as he held his hands up in a non-threatening gesture.

"Ahhh!" she yelled, and fired, the shot passing through Shepard's shoulder. John barley winced as blood began the seep from a new hole in his shoulder.

The Quarian was frozen in terror, her knees began trembling as the human looked at the injury and red lightning danced over it. When the lighting vanished, the wound was completely gone.

Shepard glared at the Quarian. His hand shot out, and he pulled the gun out of her hands. She couldn't control herself any more, she fell down, her eyes transfixed on the gun as he crushed it as if it were a plastic toy.

"If this how Quarians show gratitude?" he growled at her dangerously.

She held her hands up in a pleasing manner, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, please don't kill me,"

Shepard's expression turned to one of disgust, "get out of my sight suit rat," he said.

As the Quarian proceeded to try and stand up, John grabbed her helmet and shoved it back against the wall, keeping her from moving. "Tell anybody about what happened here, and I will find you," he said menacingly.

John released her and walked away, all the while staring at his hand.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel Lower Wards, The Pit**

**Date: 16th February, 2181**

**Time: 2200 CST**

John stepped through the open doors into the arena. The crowd once again roaring in anticipation of the coming fight. Shepard ignored them, he had never cared about what these vermin thought. He focused his attention on the walking corpses in front of them.

There were six of them consisting of an Asari wielding a sword, a Krogan swinging a massive war hammer, a Salarian with two knives, a Turian with a sword and shield, and two axe wielding Batarians.

The klaxon sounded. Shepard let loose an animalistic roar, and charged forward. The other gladiators charged to meet him, the first to reach him was the Asari, without even stopping, John backhanded her across the face with his left hand, knocking her to the ground. The Turian aimed a swing at him from his right, John threw his upper body to the left to dodge, then delivered a powerful punch with his left hand straight into the Turian's face. He fell to the ground blood pouring down his mandibles.

Shepard kept running forward. He jumped, just as one of the Batarians swung his axe at Shepard in a sideways motion. The axe passing harmlessly beneath John's feet. Shepard's jumped had been perfectly timed, as shown when he landed directly on top of the other Batarian sending them both to the ground. Not waiting for his opponent to recover, John got into a kneeling position on top of the Batarian, quickly grabbed his head, and in one swift motion broke his neck.

Getting over his surprise, the Salarian, who had been standing to the right of the Batarian, prepared to bring his knife down on Shepard. Still kneeling down, Shepard delivered a powerful punch with his left arm into the Salarian's gut. He heard a few ribs crack as he leaned over winded, and staggered backwards. The Krogan swung his hammer at Shepard, who proceeded to throw his upper body backwards, dodging the weapon in a limbo motion.

John quickly got back up to his feet, jump flipped over the still leaning Salarian, then grabbed him by the shoulder while still airborne. Shepard planted his feet as he landed and with his enhanced strength, threw the Salarian into the charging Asari, sending them both to the ground. John ducked under a sideways swing from the Turian, then jumped back to avoid another. The Krogan charged at him again, his massive hammer raised above his head. John jumped to his right to avoid the downward swing, he then twisted around, maneuvering behind the Krogan, and kicked him square in the back, sending him stumbling and falling face first onto the ground.

Shepard rolled to his right, as the Turian attempted a downward strike from behind him. As he rolled Shepard picked up one of the Salarian's fallen daggers. Behind his helmet Shepard grinned, he had rolled in front of the Batarian. The Batarian attempted to bring his axe down on the human, but Shepard was faster and he drove the dagger straight into his heart.

Shepard used the now embedded dagger to lift the Batarian above his head, and even threw him a few inches into the air. Capitalising on the shock the other gladiators were feeling at the site, Shepard grabbed the Batarian's falling axe, and before the descending body could even hit the ground, he threw it. It twisted through the air and embedded itself in the chest of the Turian.

Shepard then charged at the Salarian. While doing so he ran by the Turian's corpse, and in an impressive display of skill, kicked the sword up into his hand. He jumped up, raising the sword above his head. The Salarian's eyes widened in shock as Shepard brought the sword down, and swiftly decapitated him.

Shepard gripped the sword in his right hand, he raised it just in time to block and downward strike from the Asari. Acting quickly, Shepard grabbed her by her right bicep and threw her over his head, in a judo throw. She landed on her back, desperately trying to catch her breath. Shepard didn't waste a moment, he charged her as she got back to her feet, he crouched down, and drove the sword into her gut in an upwards motion, additionally launching her several feet away, the sword still embedded in her chest.

Shepard quickly picked up the Asari's sword and turned his attention to the surviving gladiator. Shepard and the Krogan stared at each other for a few moments, before letting out roars, and charged at each other. The Krogan swung his hammer at Shepard, who skillfully ducked under the blowing by knee sliding, coming to a stop right in front of the Krogan. He then stabbed the sword into the ground, through the Krogan's foot, pinning him. John stood back up and delivered a right hook to the side of the Krogan's face, then a left, then another right. He delivered another punch, into the Krogan's chest winding him. Shepard pulled the hammer from the Krogan's lose hand. With a mighty yell, he smashed it across the Krogan's face, caving in his skull, cracking his head plate, and sending Krogan blood all over the arena floor.

John hefted the large hammer over his shoulder in a victorious pose.

"BLOOD BRAWL, BLOOD BRAWL, BLOOD BRAWL, BLOOD BRAWL," the crowd began chanting.

_Okay that's never happened before_, Shepard thought confused.

He quickly threw the hammer to the ground and proceeded back to the entrance. However, when he walked through the doors, he noticed someone there. An Asari wearing a fine dress, and accompanied by two Turian bodyguards.

"Mistress Dantius wishes to speak with you," she said in an overly sweet voice.

Shepard quickly glanced at the two bodyguards, _I get the feeling this isn't something I can refuse,_ he said internally.

"All right," he said.

"Follow me please," she responded, as she began to make her way through the hallways, Shepard walking behind her, with the two bodyguards taking up positions behind them.

All four of them soon entered an elevator, and as it rose, Shepard recognised that they were about to enter the area reserved for the pits more higher-class patrons.

The door opened, to reveal a setting that looked like it belonged at a high society party. Large tables showing an array of exquisite delicacies, vast collections of beverages, and patrons of all species wearing fine suits and elegant dresses. Shepard couldn't help but feel slightly out of place wearing his gladiator armour.

"This way," the Asari said, escorting him through the party. It was at this point that several of the guests registered Shepard's appearance. One Salarian gave a small yelp of fear at the sight of him, and almost fell over one of the tables.

The Asari gestured up a small flight of stairs, Shepard ascended them and found himself in a private box. A large wall window at the back providing a view over the entire Pit. Sitting in a sofa facing him, holding a small glass of wine in her hand and wearing an exquisite red dress was Dahlia Dantius herself.

She gave him a small smile, but Shepard could see the ruthlessness and cunning in her eyes. "I'm so glad you accepted my invitation," she said courteously, "please sit down. I have a business proposition for you," she gestured to the sofa opposite her.

John gave a quick glance at the various armed guards positioned around the box, several Asari and a few Turians. He sat down on the sofa, but kept his posture tense, ready to react at a moment's notice.

"Would you like a drink? I have beverages from all over the galaxy," Dahlia said, gesturing to a fully stocked bar.

Beneath his helmet, Shepard narrowed his eyes her, "I would prefer to remain unintoxicated for this," he said plainly.

"I'm sure I have… other delights I could provide you," she gestured for someone behind Shepard to come forward.

Shepard didn't know what to expect, but he practically froze when a young human girl, wearing an extremely revealing dress, walked into his field of vision. His eyes were immediately locked on the small silver necklace she was wearing; however Shepard knew that the piece of jewellery, was in truth a shock collar. The girl proceeded to sit down next Shepard, and lent against him wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"I mean no insult to your hospitality, but I would not like to be distracted during this… discussion," he responded, gently pushing the girl away. While at the same time, desperately trying to contain his rage.

"All right, I will get straight to the point," Dahlia said, taking a sip from her drink, "You are an anomaly. Your victories get more and more impressive. Yet, no one has come forward claiming to be your sponsor. That makes you an unknown," her voice took a serious tone.

"I thought it was pretty common, for sponsors of gladiators to be anonymous," he responded plainly.

"Anonymous to the outside, but within this place, I ensure that I know everything. I know who sponsors which gladiators, I know every detail about each gladiator, I know who bets and on who they bet. I know everything, and I ensure that every fight, every rise and fall of a champion, adheres to my design," she said dangerously.

"Except me, right?" he responded with a small amount of humour. The Asari's eye twitched at that comment.

"I am offering you a place as a champion of the pit. You will no longer have to reside in the squalor of the lower levels, you will freely be able to enter the penthouse suites, and enjoy all the privileges they provide. Think of it, fame, fortune, accommodation of the highest order and anything else you desire. All you have to do is act according to my instructions," she explained, giving a sinister smile.

"And that would include… having to kill human slaves…make a show of butchering them, "John responded darkly.

The smile did not waver from Dahlia's face, "A barbaric practice, but sadly some random violence is necessary to arouse the rabble, "she said nonchalantly.

Shepard stared at her for a few moments, his fists involuntary clenching. He took a deep breath and then proceeded to stand up, "well, my apologies, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline your generous offer," he stated.

He was about to turn around, "how is that young doctor doing?" Dahlia said. Shepard froze at that statement, "how about her scavenger roommate."

John looked Dahlia in the eye, she gave him a sinister smile, "yes. I found out. Currently I am the only one who does know. However, it would be a shame if something were to happen to those two young women, wouldn't it?"

John's eyes flashed red, thankfully still hidden by his helmet. Dantius had a smirk of triumph on her face, she was confident that she had him now.

John gritted his teeth, "you surround yourself in this luxury. You portray yourself as the Queen of what many people consider a living hell. You make your fortune in blood and suffering. You may think yourself a goddess Dantius, but you're just another slaver vermin." With that Shepard spun around and walked away.

Dahlia's face twisted into a mass of rage, "how dare you turn your back on me slave. You are dead. Everyone you know is dead. Everyone," she yelled at his retreating form.

She sat back down, breathing heavily through her nose and gritted teeth. She snapped her fingers, one of her assistants hurriedly walked up to her, "when is he fighting next?" she asked, with barely controlled rage.

Her assistant checked her omni-tool in a panic, "tomorrow night mistress. he is fighting another group," her assistant said shakily,

"Well, that group is going to get a considerable number of additional members," Dahlia said.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Shepard bulldozed through the guests, intending to reach the exit of this place as soon as he could.

_I need to find some place to change out of my armour_, Shepard thought before stopping for a second, _does it even matter. She knows who I am…_

"hey… Wait a second please," he heard a voice call out to him, John quickly spun around a saw an Asari wearing a waitress dress running towards him.

She ran up to him and then, quickly leant over, desperately trying to catch her breath.

"You want something?" Shepard asked gruffly.

The Asari looked up at him with a panicked expression, "do you have any idea what you've just done? "she replied.

"Told some squid with a very high opinion of a herself, what she really is and how much power she really has," he responded simply.

The Asari's alarmed expression didn't fade, "she will not hesitate to follow up on the threat she made to you. She is perfectly willing to kill you and any one you care about."

Shepard gave a hard stare," assuming there is anybody, she would just be signing her own death warrant,"

The Asari stared at him in surprise, "you truly mean that?" She asked slightly scared. John leaned in closer to her, "I would break her neck and not lose a night's sleep over it," he whispered.

The Asari looked over her shoulder, "maybe I can help you with that," she whispered back.

"What you mean by that?" John asked suspiciously.

The Asari activated her omni-tool, "I have the security codes to get into her office, when I have to serve that monster drinks. If your serious about… dealing with her, that would be the most ideal place,"

Shepard activated his omni-tool and was just about to copy the code, "what do you get out of this?" He said.

"I've been forced to work here for fifteen years. I know full well the horrors that bitch orchestrates. If you want to kill her, I am more than willing to help,"

Shepard copied the code on to his own omni-tool, just as he turned to leave he asked one final question, "what's your name?"

"Nassana," was the reply.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel Docks **

**Date: 17th February, 2181**

**Time: 1300 CST**

A Turian Hierarchy frigate had just docked at the Citadel. Two figures descended the ramp. One was Turian, he was wearing blue armour, he had blue facial tattoos that ran under his eyes and across his nose, he also had a sniper rifle on his back. His companion was a young human woman, she had fiery red hair, and wore a hierarchy cadet uniform, specifically designed for humans.

"I can't tell you how much it means to me that you're helping me with this lieutenant Vakarian, "the human said.

The Turian simply waved her off, "no need for gratitude Shepard. Now do you have any idea where we can find your brother?"

Elizabeth Shepard brought out her omni-tool," yeah, I've got the address for the person who bought him, Doctor Liara T'soni,"

* * *

**000**

* * *

**AN: **So if you want an idea for the device John is building, just imagine the first ARC reactor in Iron Man, except red.

For Abigail's song it is the same tune as 'Rose of Noonvale Song' from Martin the Warrior cartoon series.

Disclaimer I do not own Redwall.


	19. Chapter 19: Face What You Have Become

A/N: _Italics _indicate internal thought.

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Face What You Have Become**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Bachjret ward. T'soni apartment.**

**Date: 17th February, 2181**

**Time: 1400 CST**

Liara had her fists raised in front of her face as she stood poised on the balls of her feet. She was wearing black, padded, fingerless gloves as well as a sports bra and yoga pants. Opposite her was Tali, holding up two pads in her hands. They had cleared a space in the middle of their apartment, and placed a simple sports mat down on the floor.

Liara delivered a series of jabs into the pads before stepping back and launching a side kick into one. As Liara brought her leg back down, she winced slightly. She was panting heavily and beads of sweat were running down her face. Seeing this, Tali dropped the pads to the ground, "we've been at this for two hours Liara. I think it's time for a break," said the Quarian.

"No, I can keep going," Liara responded fiercely. Tali gave a deep sigh, "yes, you can keep going till you pass out from exhaustion. Shiala said it was important not to overwork yourself, so sit down," she said forcefully.

Liara gave Tali a disapproving look before she relented and collapsed on the couch. Tali looked at her Asari friend for a second before shaking her head, "seriously Liara, the first day off you get in weeks and you want to spend it working out. Keelah, do you actually do anything else with your free time at the moment?" she asked.

"When we confronted Jonathan… or even when I was approached by Balak, I had no way of protecting myself. Is it truly strange that I do not wish to feel so helpless again?" Liara retorted.

"It's not just about learning to defend yourself, is it though?" Tali queried solemnly. Liara looked at the floor, "doing this helps me keep my mind off…. what happened," she answered quietly. Tali sat down next to her roommate, and held her head in her hands. "I'd say that's extremely unhealthy… but it's not like I'm doing any better,"

"all the extra hours your spending trying to find salvage?" Liara asked.

"Yeah, but the problem is, working on my projects just reminds me of the times I spent working on them with John. And then I remember the things he said… and I can't help but think that what he…" Tali trailed off.

Liara's eyes began to water, "That is why his words hurt so badly. You wonder how much truth there is behind those words," she said.

Tali sniffed, "Yeah," a tentative pause passed between the two girls, before Tali broke it. "I spoke to Wrex. He won another fight last night, against six gladiators. He's fighting again tonight."

Liara took a deep breath to try and prevent herself from crying, "I do not know how to feel about this. I am truly glad that he is still alive, but we both know that he is getting worse," Liara said.

Suddenly, their thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

Liara opened the door to reveal two figures. One was a Turian, he was wearing blue armour, and had blue face tattoos. The other was a young human woman, with fiery red hair. If she were to guess, she would assume she was a similar age to John.

"Doctor T'soni?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Liara confirmed. A warm smile spread across the human's face. "Nice to meet you. My name is Elizabeth Shepard. I believe you know my brother," she said.

Liara's breath caught in her throat and her eyes went wide._ Elizabeth…. This is Jonathan's sister._

Liz seemed to register her change in composure, "you are the one who purchased him, right? Is he here? I'd really like to talk to him, he hasn't been sending a lot of messages these past few months," she said.

"I…I think you should come in," Liara said, finally finding her voice again.

Liz's expression changed to one of concern, "Is everything okay? Did something happen to him?" she asked, desperation creeping into her voice.

"Jonathan is alive," Liara quickly responded, "but I am afraid he is very far from all right. Please come in and I will explain."

* * *

**000**

* * *

Liz was sat on the chair, her entire body was trembling, her shaking hands clamped around her head, with her eyes wide in shock.

"I can't believe this," she said barely above a whisper, "I refuse to believe this," she said more forcefully, "I won't believe the brother who would always stand up for his younger siblings, who would always try and do the right thing, would become…. would become what your describing."

The other three people in the apartment stood a respectful distance away. Liara took a small step towards her, "we were desperate to deny this as well Elizabeth, we did not want to believe that the kind person that saved our lives, could become this bloodthirsty animal."

"Why? why would he even do this in the first place?" Liz asked, the expression of shock still present on her face.

Liara looked away for a second, a guilty expression forming on her face, "Despite the fact that he always seemed to be in good spirits to us, looking back, it was evident that he deeply missed home…. that he missed you…. he very much wanted to return home. He first tried nonviolent ways to achieve this, but…unfortunate circumstances prevented that. He became desperate, and in his desperation…somebody introduced him to the gladiatorial fights," Liara explained, with great difficulty.

Seeing her friend struggling, Tali decided to take over, "that's when it really started. He tried to hide it well, but we knew John hated having to demean himself in front of people, hated not being able to fight back against people who hurt him…." Tali also trailed off.

"And in these fights, Shepard found an environment where he could fight back…. where he didn't have to behave subserviently in front of others," Garrus concluded.

Tali could only nod her head in response, "and he took to that… all too well," she said.

Liz stood up, "I…. I need to…. I need to talk to him. Where can I find him?" she asked desperately.

Liara looked at her for a second, "yes…yes maybe you can pull him out of the darkness that is consuming him. We do not know his new residence, but we do know he is competing in a fight tonight in the 'Pit'"

"I'll tell my friend Wrex, he can show you where it is," Tali chimed in.

"Thank you," Liz said gratefully.

"I hope you can help him Elizabeth, despite what you may think, we desperately care about his well-being," Liara said with genuine concern.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, **

**Time: 2200 CST**

Garrus and Liz trailed behind Wrex as they walked through the dark, bustling streets of the lower wards.

Liz kept her eyes forward and her teeth gritted, she had to focus all of her attention into blocking out the atrocities that surrounded her. _All this pain… All this suffering… And John's been spending god knows how much time in this place,_ she mused to herself.

While she kept her gaze forward and her expression unreadable, Garrus looked around wildly, an expression of horror on his face. "How could it have gotten this bad, I've already counted no less than half a dozen red sand dens. The treatment of humans down here… how could they do this?" he asked out loud.

Wrex gave an amused chuckle, "they're slaves Turian. Nobody cares about how they're treated, especially your kind."

Garrus looked around more, still aghast, "where the hell is C-sec?" he asked outraged.

Wrex actually gave a small laugh at that comment, "C-sec. I don't think I've seen any C-sec down here in a decade," the Krogan paused for a second before continuing," unless of course they're off duty and enjoying the 'attractions'. Yeah, any C-sec probably get paid to leave this place alone."

Garrus was enraged, "my father is a C-sec officer. He would never allow something like this to keep going, he's a good man," he said defiantly.

Wrex turned around to look Garrus in the eye, "Well enjoy that while you can. If I've learned anything from Shepard, nothing 'good' survives in this galaxy," the Krogan said grimly, before turning away again.

Garrus could only stare at Wrex's back in shock.

The trio walked through the entrance of the large fighting arena. Liz's focus was immediately drawn to the small gambling booth. The holographic images of many champions were projected above, along with numbers showing the odds of their victory. A Salarian and a Batarian were sitting behind a desk, taking bets from many patrons.

Liz quietly made her way towards the booth, hoping to get an idea of when her brother would be fighting. Her eyes scanned the various names, almost all of them meant nothing to her, but eventually her eyes landed on one name.

"Blood Brawl," she mumbled under her breath. That's what she'd been told his gladiator name was. She was so transfixed on the name, she didn't notice someone standing behind her, until a hand roughly grabbed her shoulder.

"You wander off from your master sweet thing, cause your way too pretty to be wasted on this place," a lecherous voice sounded behind her. Liz turned around to see a Batarian, four lust filled eyes wandered over her body, while he ran his tongue across his teeth in a display of depravity. He was joined by two more Batarians on either side of him.

Liz glared at the despicable individual in front of her. "I'm not a slave asshole. And I've got better stuff to do than deal with a piece of shit like you," she said with a great deal of hostility. The expressions of the two flanking Batarians morphed into scowls, while the one in the centre just raised an eyebrow in amusement.

He gave a low chuckle, "you got quite a mouth on you human, I think you can put it to better use-URK!"

Liz's patience officially ran out, so she proceeded to knee the Batarian in the testicles. The man leaned over to grab his damaged genitals, and let out a small whimper. Liz didn't wait for him to react further and delivered a jab straight between his four eyes, the blow caused him to take a couple of steps back. Before he could regain his footing, Liz launched a spinning kick into the right side of his face, sending him to the ground.

The other two Batarians looked at her in shock, before they both charged at her, expressions of anger on their faces. Liz ducked under a swing from the one on her right, then planted a sidekick into his stomach, knocking him onto his back. The other Batarian swung at her from her left. She blocked his strike with her left arm, then smashed her right elbow into his face. While he staggered back, Liz crouched down, planting her hands on the ground, and knocked him off his feet with a sweeping kick. She stood back up, and knocked the Batarian out with a kick to the face.

She heard a yell coming from behind her, and turned around to see the other Batarian charging at her. Waiting for her moment, Shepard charged her right fist with biotic energy, then at the exact moment he reached her, she hit him with a biotic uppercut, sending him flying several feet into the air, before crashing back down.

Liz took a moment to catch her breath, and looked around at the crowd that her little scuffle had attracted. Wrex and Garrus quickly made their way to her, Garrus grasped Liz by her shoulders, and practically dragged her towards the spectator's area, before things could get worse.

"Damn girl, I see how you're related to John now," Wrex commented, laughing a bit.

Liz could only look down, "if those are the kind of people that John has been having to deal with, I can definitely see where his anger comes from," she said quietly.

"And remember, your brother had to just stand there and take anything they dished out to him," The Krogan added.

Garrus massaged his temples, "I thought there was supposed to be something preventing this kind of mistreatment…There are a lot of people I know back on Palaven who own slaves, but they don't treat them this badly," he said, through his clenched teeth.

Wrex turned to him with a disbelieving look, "you're so certain of that? Just because you've never seen someone beat their slave in public," he asked rhetorically.

"Of course," Garrus responded defiantly, "were not like the Batarians. Doing something as heinous as that is against our- "

"let me guess, against your Turian honour," the battlemaster interrupted with a mocking tone, before narrowing his eyes, "I've seen all kinds of people try and delude themselves into thinking they're saints with crap like that," he moved towards Garrus until their faces were inches apart, "but whatever way you cut it kid. A slaver's still a slaver."

Garrus could only look down at the ground. He quickly turned his gaze back towards Liz, "are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

Liz took a deep breath before looking back up and nodding her head, "yes. I need to see this… to see if he's really fallen so far," she said.

The three of them found an empty spot where they could view the fight.

"WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TO WHAT PROMISES TO BE THE BIGGEST FIGHT OF THE MILLENIUM." A voice rang out from the speakers.

"AND HERE IS THE FIRST FIGHTER, HE HAS CRUSHED EVERYONE SENT AT HIM AND NOW HOLDS THE RECORD FOR MOST CONSECUTIVE VICTORIES. THE PRINCE OF PAIN. THE PATRIARCH OF PUNISHMENT."

"BLOOOOOOD BRAAAAAAAAWWL."

The doors opened, and an imposing figure stepped through. Liz knew she had no way to prepare herself for what she might see, but the site before her, caused the blood to drain from her face.

The bulky metallic armour covering his body. The studded knuckles, ending in large spikes. She may not have been on her younger siblings' level in terms of mechanical knowledge, but she caught glimpses of the hydraulics and servos of his armour hidden under the plates. But what shocked her the most, was the fanged skull-like helmet he wore.

_No…. Please…. That can't be him… Please don't let that be him, _she begged in her mind.

"TODAY HE WILL BE PUSHING HIMSELF TO HIS LIMITS, HE WILL BE FACING MORE OPPONENTS THAN EVER BEFORE," the voice of the announcer rang out again, "I WON'T WASTE ANYMORE OF YOUR TIME MY FRIENDS. LET THE FIGHT BEGAN."

A klaxon sounded, and the other set of doors opened.

Deep animalistic snarls were heard from within, the perpetrators were soon revealed as a group of six Vorcha ran out into the arena, all carrying various weapons. They paused for a second to look at the human, then they hissed at him angrily and charged. Liz was shocked at him having to fight so many at once, that shock only proceeded to increase as six more individuals emerged from the door. Three Turians, two Asari, a Salarian and a Krogan.

"This… This is a battle royale right? They're all going to fight each other, right?" Liz asked, hoping somebody would tell her yes.

"I'm afraid not young lady. Those six are here to fight against Blood Brawl, and I should know, I arranged this fight for him," Liz turned around to find the source of the rasping voice, and saw a Krogan. He was wearing, what she assumed, was a business suit. He also looked ancient even by Krogan standards, due to the cane and vast number of wrinkles on his face.

The elderly Krogan scratched his chin slightly as he watched the arena, "although, those Vorcha are definitely not part of the arrangement I made…. I suppose this means that Dantius is genuinely trying to kill him," he said casually.

Liz looked at him for a second, before her eyes narrowed as she finally registered what he said, "what do you mean you arranged this fight for him?" she asked aggressively.

"Oh, I've arranged all his fights since he first started," he stated, simply waving her off, "I must admit that he surpassed all expectations I had for him, when I first introduced him to this place," he continued a grin forming on his face.

"Introduced?" Liz's eyes widened in realisation, then contorted in absolute rage as she rounded on the old Krogan, "you're the one who did this to him, you're the one who turned him into this," she yelled raising a biotic charged fist, ready to pound his face into oblivion. This attracted the attention of Garrus and Wrex who quickly moved to restrain her.

"Calm down Shepard, we don't need another scene right now," Garrus cautioned her.

The elderly Krogan simply raise an eyebrow, "forced him? He was not 'my' slave, I could not force him to do anything. I simply presented him with an opportunity to acquire the funds he desired to return home," he explained. He turned to look down at the arena again, "it truly took me by surprise when he chose to continue fighting after he had bought his own freedom. But then I suppose, how can you give up something that you truly excel at… watch this match and you will see what I mean," he said calmly gesturing towards the fight about to begin.

The trio turned their gaze back towards the centre of the arena.

The first Vorcha had just reached the human, who had remained completely still this entire time. The Vorcha raised his spear, and moved to impale the human. Acting fast, Blood Brawl spun to his left, as the Vorcha passed him, he grabbed the shaft of the spear, and delivered a left hook to the Vorcha's face, knocking several of his sharp teeth out. The blow forced him to let go of his spear and knocked him to the ground. Blood Brawl spun the spear in his right hand, before twisting to his left and using it to impale another charging Vorcha right through the stomach. He then used the spear to heft the Vorcha right over his head and sent him crashing to the ground, the spear still stuck through his stomach. A third Vorcha charged from his right, he threw his upper body backwards to avoid the sword. As the Vorcha went past him, the human grabbed him by his shoulders and slammed him to the ground, making the Vorcha drop his shield in the process. The human quickly picked up the fallen shield, walked over to the first Vorcha, who was still lying on his back. He raised the shield above his head, and brought it down on the Vorcha's neck, decapitating him.

Blood Brawl picked up a fallen sword and gave it a twirl in his right hand. He turned his attention back to the third Vorcha. The Vorcha charged at the human with his sword raised. Without missing a beat, the human grabbed the Vorcha's raised arm with his left. He then used his own sword to slice off the Vorcha's raised arm. The Vorcha gave let out a screech, as he staggered backwards. Not giving him a second, Blood Brawl swung his sword again, slashing across the Vorcha's face, killing him.

The human had no time to catch his breath. He quickly ducked as another Vorcha attempted a side slash with his sword from behind. As the blade passed overhead, Blood Brawl flipped the sword in his right hand into a reverse grip, and while twisting round to his right, drove it through the Vorcha's chin, and out the top of his head. Blood Brawl pulled his sword out and while the body fell, the human reached out and grabbed the deceased Vorcha's sword in his left hand.

Blood Brawl turned to face the remaining two Vorcha, and charged at them. Before either of them could react, the human drove his right sword, into the gut of the Vorcha on his right. The other Vorcha tried to make use of his exposed side and swung his sword down on the human. However, Blood Brawl maneuvered the Vorcha, still impaled on his sword, into the path of the downward swipe. Causing the Vorcha to embed his sword in his comrade's head. Blood Brawl reached round with the sword in his left hand, drove it through the Vorcha's eye and into his brain.

It was at that point, the other gladiators started to attack.

One of the Turians swung at the human with his axe. Blood Brawl quickly jumped back, letting the axe smash into the ground in front of him. As the Turian lifted his weapon back up, the human performed a spinning heel kick, knocking the weapon out of his hand. The Turian could only stare in shock before the human drove both his swords into his chest. Blood Brawl shoved the corpse off his swords, then quickly threw his upper body to his right, as another Turian swung at him from behind on his left. He successfully dodged the weapon, but the sword was knocked out of his left hand. Reacting quickly, the human used is now empty left hand, to backhand the Turian across the face. Cracking his mandible, and even crushing his left eye. As the Turian was sent spinning around, the human drove his remaining sword into the Turian's exposed back.

One of the Asari tried to impale the human with her sword, but he quickly sidestepped to his right, causing her to overstep and stumble forwards. As she turned around, Blood Brawl was already upon her. With a quick slash, he cut the Asari's right-hand, forcing her to drop her sword. The human pulled his sword back and decapitated her with one swing.

John paused for a second to catch his breath. He was actually starting to feel fatigued from this fight. He was actually pushing his limits.

That moment of course, almost cost him dearly as the other Asari brought her katana like sword down, forcing him to quickly raise his own sword to block the attack. They locked blades and tried to overpower each other. Before Blood Brawl could push back, the third Turian charged him from his left, with the intent of decapitating him. Blood Brawl's left hand shot out and grabbed the Turian's sword hand, preventing him from bringing it down. While the human was preoccupied by the two gladiators in front of him, he didn't notice the Salarian coming from behind him.

Not until the Salarian stabbed him in his left shoulder with a dagger. Grunting in pain, the human realised the situation he was in, and acted. He kicked the Turian in the chest, sending him flying several feet, with a few broken ribs. He then used his free left arm to elbow the Salarian behind him, in the face, knocking him onto his back. Lastly, he pushed back against the Asari, sending her staggering back, then he slashed into her side. She fell to her knee, clutching her new wound.

Turning around, he saw the downed Salarian, and began to make his way towards him. Seeing the human approach, the Salarian flipped on his front and attempted to crawl away in absolute terror. Before he could get anywhere, the human grabbed one of his horns in each hand. The Salarian gave an agonising scream, as Blood Brawl pulled, and ripped his head in two.

Blood Brawl turned his attention to the Turian, who was coughing up blood while trying to stand back up. The human grabbed his throat and forced him back onto the ground. The Turian in his panic tried to slice his attacker with his right talons, with lightning fast reflexes, his hand was caught. Blood Brawl gave a quick glance at the talons, then an idea formed in his head. He squeezed the Turian's palm, forcing the talons to spread out. He then began to maneuver the hand towards the Turian's throat. Realising what the human intended, the Turian thrashed wildly, but he could do nothing as his own talons were jammed into his jugular. The Human stood back up as the Turian choked on his own blood, his talons embedded in his own throat.

The human turned his gaze to the Asari, who was using her sword, to push herself back to her feet. Blood Brawl slowly walked up to her. She pathetically tried to swing her sword at him. With a quick backhand, he knocked it from her grasp. She was looking at him in absolute terror now. He grabbed her, and raised her above his head. Then he brought her down, taking a kneeling position while he did. A horrifying 'crack' resounded through the arena as he smashed her spine against his knee. The life drained from her eyes as her corpse rolled over.

The human stood backup, he was panting quite a bit now, this fight was starting to take a toll. That's why he never saw the Krogan smash the club into his face, sending him spinning around and onto his back.

John felt his jaw and cheekbone crack from the impact, he focused his power and already he could feel the pain subsided, and the wound healing. However, the faceplate now had a massive indention. Before he could try and get up, the Krogan slammed his knees into his chest, pinning him to the ground. The Krogan grasped his claws around the human's throat, and began to choke him. Blood Brawl desperately tried to pry him off, but the previous fights had taken their toll, he had assumed that his stamina was unlimited, obviously not when actively using his powers so much.

Shepard's vision was beginning to blur, but from the corner of his eye he saw a dagger from the Salarian on the ground near him. Shepard reached out for it, his fingertips barely scraping it. The Krogan was too absorbed in his imminent victory to notice. Shepard strained, and successfully clenched his fingers around the handle of the knife. He yelled, and stabbed the knife behind the Krogan's head plate and began to pull. The Krogan roared in pain and tried pull away from Shepard. But the human grabbed the collar of his armour with his free hand, keeping him where he was. With a final wrench, Shepard tore the headplate clean off. The Krogan staggered away clutching his wound. He faced Shepard… to see the human with his hand pulled back, holding his removed head plate. Shepard drove the head plate into the Krogan's face. The Krogan stood there for a few seconds, before falling over dead.

"That was truly impressive," the old Krogan said in admiration, "I have quite a large sum of credits to collect," and with that he walked off.

Liz fell to her knees, tears ran from her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hands.

Garrus knelt down next to her, but in truth he was in shock from what he had just witnessed as well.

"Well… I am officially scared of that kid," Wrex said dryly.

"We need to talk to him," Liz said, barely higher than a whisper.

"And I'm afraid that's the problem," Wrex said, "I've been trying to talk to him for months… but I haven't found where he crashes."

"You looking for Shepard?" the three of them turned their heads to see a male human wearing white armour, the helmet obscuring any trace of his identity, "I know where you can find him," the mysterious man said.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, Bloodmaw Bar**

**Time: 2345 CST**

John downed another glass. He couldn't help but feel extremely pleased with himself, he had just gone up against twelve gladiators, and won.

_Dantius will probably be fuming right now, I should keep my guard up, she will probably try and send someone to kill me outside the arena now. I should also watch out for-, _his thoughts were suddenly cut off again.

_**The only person you need to watch out for is yourself. Do not waste your energy protecting those who only saw you as property, **_the voice sounded in his mind.

_Yeah, you're right, no one on this damn station has ever thought of helping me, I'm not obliged to help any of them. _He thought as if responding to the voice.

John was about to order another drink, he was still trying to find a beverage that could get him drunk. When suddenly-

"John," a voice called out to him from behind, a voice he hadn't heard in months.

Shepard turned around slowly, and there she was, her flaming red hair, her athletic build, it was his sister. Elizabeth 'Liz' Shepard. Behind her, he caught a glimpse of a Turian.

John was completely stunned he had never expected something like this, he had never expected anyone he knew to be able to make the journey to the Citadel. He had no idea how to react.

"Liz," he stated in a surprised tone, after a few seconds a smile formed on his face, "I... I can't believe you're here. How did you get to the Citadel?" he asked.

Liz looked back at him, John thought he might have been imagining it, but he swore he could see fear in her eyes. "It wasn't easy, but I was able to get a few days to come and see you. After all, you know what tomorrow is," she said, struggling a little to get the words out.

"Well anyway, it is great to see you again Liz," he said happily.

His sister swallowed and looked down at the ground. Seeing this, John's expression turned to one of confusion, "is something wrong?" he asked.

Liz took a deep breath and looked at him, "John believe me when I say, I am happy beyond belief to see you alive," a pained expression formed on her face, "but seeing you like this bro, it's horrifying," she said, gesturing towards him.

John's eyes narrowed, "what do you mean?" he asked, a sharp edge in his voice.

"Blood Brawl, John," she said incredulously.

John quickly turned away from her, his eyes narrowing, "I exhausted all other options, I wanted to get home, this was the only way I could get the credits," he stated, coldly.

"But you did earn the credits John. You earned the credits you needed months ago. But you kept fighting, why?" Liz continued, desperation creeping into her voice.

John's fist clenched, "after what I saw, I couldn't just leave. If I had left, gladiators would have just kept fighting. More humans would have been butchered for nothing more than entertainment. I'm putting them down for good. I'm make sure no one else suffers by their hands," he explained.

Liz stared at him with eyes wide, "is that what you tell yourself?" she practically yelled him, John turned around to face her again, "you really can't see it can you?" She asked rhetorically.

"See what?" Shepard growled.

"I saw your fight tonight John. Nothing you did was about preventing suffering. All I saw was someone who liked inflicting pain on others, because they think it's justified by the pain inflicted on them!" Liz shouted.

_**She dares to claim she understand our pain. She dares to claim what we do is unwarranted. **_The voice roared in his head.

"Think it's justified?" John challenged, "ever since I got here, every damned Xeno has treated me like I'm less than them, that I'm less than a person. Did you consider, maybe I just got sick of having to bow my head and take it?" He yelled at her.

"Damn it John, you think I'm not going through something similar," Liz paused and massaged her temples, "I won't insult you by trying to compare our experiences. But you really think that at Decurion, I don't get all kinds of harassment crap from Turian students. They treat me as if I'm going to be spending my entire life licking their boots. And you really want me to tell you the sheer number of human slaves I've seen on Palaven," she responded.

_**She has the audacity to compare that to the pain and suffering we have endured and witnessed these past months, **_the voice roared again.

"You really think serving in their military will earn you their respect Liz?" John asked sarcastically, slowly taking steps towards her, "during my time here, I've learned that the only thing these alien scum respect… is power. And I've proven I have more than any of them."

Liz took a step back in shock, "John, the guy I'm looking at, he is not the boy who would do anything to protect his younger siblings, he is not the boy my father taught be an honorable person," she cried.

Shepard's face morphed into a snarl, "you think I survived here all these months by following dad's outdated philosophy. That kind of thinking doesn't get you by in this galaxy sister, it doesn't help you fight against the vermin that infest it."

"John don't you get it," Liz yelled in his face, "you're no different than the rest of those gladiators who make their name killing innocent humans. Causing pain to others just because you enjoy it, just because you have the power to. You're no different than the slavers that attacked our home."

John shattered the glass he was holding, he seethed with pure rage as he glared daggers at his sister.

_**She dares to make such an insult.**_

"You do not have the right to judge me or my actions," he roared at her. John pushed past Liz and made to leave the bar. Just as he passed the Turian who had accompanied his sister, he reached out and grabbed Shepard by the forearm, "your sister came a long way to talk to you pal, so you are not leaving until she's said-," he was cut off as Shepard pulled his arm out of the Turian's grasp, grabbed him by the throat, and slammed him against the wall.

"Keep your hands off me you fucking bone face," he yelled, rearing his fist back to pound the Turian's face into a pulp.

"John stop," Liz yelled in a panic and grabbed his raised arm.

John turned to her with a snarl… and with one swing, back handed her across the face, sending her spinning to the ground.

In that moment everything froze.

Shepard's expression became one of unparalleled horror, he stared down at his fallen sister, his eyes wide, his breath erratic, he hadn't even realised he had released the Turian.

John took one tantalising step towards his sister, she turned her head to look up to him, a large red mark on the left side of a face, and tears cascading from her eyes.

"Who are you?" She said in barely more than a whisper.

John could only stare down at his hands, the full horror of his actions still sinking in, "I don't know," he replied, and all but ran out of the bar.

Liz reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a small device. She gave one small look at it, before throwing it against the wall, and crying into her hands.

Garrus, having regained his breath, wrapped his arms around her.

Neither of them noticed a blue hand pick up the small item Liz had just thrown.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, **

**Time: 2355 CST**

John ran through the streets of the lower wards, he didn't stop until he found himself in a completely abandoned alleyway, full of derelict and long abandoned shops.

He walked over to a nearby window and stared at his reflection, his eyes beginning to water.

"How could I do that?... How could I do that to my own sister?... How can I do that to anyone?" he asked himself, letting his head fall forward.

_**She was envious of our power, she sought to stagnate our rise to glory, she has been contaminated by her time amongst these scum, she betrayed us.**_ John quickly looked up to see his reflection had been replaced by a shadow, its dark red eyes blazing.

"No!" John yelled back, "my sister would never do that, she's always wanted to help people. She's a good person, just like…. just like… just like Tali and Liara," John's head fell again at the mention of his two former friends.

John continued to stare at the ground as memories began to flash in front of his eyes. The times back on Mindoir, where he and Liz would help on the farm. Times he would assist Liara at the free clinic. Times helping Tali carry salvage back to the apartment. Memories he hadn't even realised he'd forgotten.

John cradled his head in his hands, "How could I…. How could I've forgotten all of the good memories I created with them…memories from Mindoir," he paused and looked back at the shadow, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?" he yelled, his own eyes glowing red.

"_**I am you John. I did nothing you did not want." **_

John gritted his teeth and gave a small grow. But then he let his body slump and looked back down at the floor as the red colour of his eyes vanished.

"You're right," Shepard admitted," There is no one to blame for the way I am except me. What I did to Tali and Liara was terrible, they were just trying to look out for me. Even though they showed me nothing but kindness, I condemned them for the crimes of their people. And I attacked them… just like I attacked Liz," John said, tears beginning to fall down his face.

_**They were nothing, just two more vermin in this damned galaxy, pebbles on our ascension to greatness,**_

John stared back at the shadow, "they were right, all my time fighting in the Pit, it was never about preventing the suffering of others. All the time I've spent on this station, being looked down on as worse than garbage…I loved the fighting because I liked being able to flip the scales. I got addicted to the feeling of the power to decide their fate, just like… Just like aliens all over the galaxy feel like they can judge the fate of their human slaves," John looked down at his shaking hands, "I've become just like the ones I hated so much," he finally admitted.

_**We delivered righteous punishment to those wretches. And that place was just the start John. Our power will grow, the fires of our vengeance will consume every corner of this galaxy, and burn even the very memory of these Xeno from existence. **_

"NO!" John shouted back, "I don't want that any more, I don't want to be this any-more," he said gesturing to himself, "this unfeeling monster who cares only for inflicting pain," tears flowed down his face.

_**It is too late John; our path is set. OURS IS THE PATH OF BLOOD AND CARNAGE,**_

"NOOOOO!" John roared, and smashed the window with his fist.

John slowly walked backwards, all the while struggling to catch his breath. Eventually his back hit the opposite wall, he slunk down to the ground, and placed his head in his hands, sobbing.

"That was an interesting conversation." Startled by the voice, John shot back to his feet, and saw that the speaker was an Asari wearing a cloak.

John's eyes widened in recognition, "you?" he asked unable to process what he was seeing.

For before him stood Sha'ira.

Before Shepard considered why someone of her stature would be down here, his mind immediately went back to what she had said.

"So, witnessing my descent into madness, I probably should have seen a psychologist when I started talking to myself over five months ago," he said, his voice dry with sarcasm.

"It was wrong…. Your path is not set…. Not yet anyway," she stated as if she was discussing the weather.

John's jaw dropped and he turned his head to stare at her, "you could…. You mean I'm not…."

"What you have been speaking to is something much more than a mere figment of your imagination, Jonathan Shepard," she stated calmly.

Shepard looked at her with a curious expression, before he could ask her any questions, his face fell as he recalled what had happened a few moments previously, "It doesn't matter what it is. I failed my family, I failed those I cared about, and those who cared about me."

He stared down at the ground, before giving a humourless chuckle, "all those months I spent deluding myself into thinking I was using my strength to help people. I'm no protector, all I've become is another monster in this galaxy," he said.

Sha'ira gave a sigh, "that is true, there is no debating the fact that you have done terrible things, and that you have hurt good people," she said.

"But you are not the only good person who has lost their way. This galaxy is being swallowed by a terrible darkness, and as it spreads, more of the galaxy's light is lost, and more innocent souls are consumed by it," she continued.

She turned her gaze upwards, "it was not always like this, although it may be difficult for you or any of your people to believe, I remember a time when all the species of Citadel space, would come together and ensure the freedom and prosperity of all."

"I fear soon, the darkness will have consumed everything, every day there is less and less hope of turning the tide," a small smile than formed on her lips, "but perhaps not all hope is yet extinguished."

"What do you mean?" John asked.

Sha'ira turned to look at him, "you have fallen far into the darkness Jonathan Shepard, you yourself admit that, but the true question is: what will you do now?"

"What can I do?" John replied glumly, staring at the ground.

"I want you to tell me what you are going to do now Jonathan Shepard," the Asari demanded forcefully, pointing her finger at him, "will you simply give up? Will you weep for what you have lost till the end of your days? Or will you take the harder path? Will you work to redeem yourself? Will you try to earn the forgiveness of those you have wronged? The choice is yours, as it is everyone's right to choose."

John looked at her for a second, _is it even worth trying, after what I did…. there's almost no chance that any of them will ever forgive me no matter what I did, No! I know it might be an impossible task to redeem myself…. maybe even futile…. But I will try… I will do everything I can to earn back what I discarded_

John wiped the tears from his eyes, and looked at the Asari, "I want to earn their forgiveness. But what can I do to redeem myself?" he asked.

"Tell me Jonathan, do you think fate granted you such power so you could waste it slaughtering others for your own satisfaction? Or do you think there is a greater purpose behind such strength?" she said cryptically.

"Strength…" John mumbled under his breath.

_A thirteen-year-old Jonathan Shepard stood in front of his father. The boy was sporting various bruises across his face as well as a bleeding nose._

"_What the hell were you thinking? Starting a fist fight in the middle of the playground like that," his father shouted at him._

_John simply crossed his arms, "he called me a weakling. I proved him wrong," he stated simply._

"_God dammit Jonathan this is the third time this week," his father exclaimed before taking a deep breath, he gave his son a stern look, "you've got a lot of strength, I'll give you that son, but if you've got this much strength to spare, you should use it to help people who don't have much strength, instead of on your own pride."_

John hadn't thought about that memory in months, _I forgot about that lesson…. one of the lessons I believed was the most important… I've forgotten a lot of the lessons my parents taught me. Never Again._

John steeled himself and looked at Sha'ira, "all over the galaxy there are humans who suffer, I want to end that suffering, I want to free every human," he declared.

"If that is the path you choose, then I will show you one route, but remember the choice to walk down this path can only be yours Shepard." The Asari gestured to the large building of the Pit in the distance.

"To end the suffering that consumes this galaxy, you must destroy those who inflict such suffering. However, dealing with every individual who inflicts suffering would take a million Asari lifetimes. So instead you must destroy the foundation that supports such suffering," she said.

She turned to the human, "Burn the darkness as you would a weed, and from the ashes let something better grow in its place," she stated.

John nodded, "I understand,"

Sha'ira activated her omni-tool, "after you have finished, meet me at this address and we will talk further of where this path goes," she said.

John took several steps towards the pit when suddenly his omni-tool beeped signifying it was midnight.

Sha'ira gave a small smile, "what impeccable timing. Remember Jonathan as one thing ends another must begin. Treat this as a metaphor of yourself. Just as one day has ended and a new one has begun, your old self who inflicted pain for nothing more than your own pleasure is gone. Now you will become something new, something better."

John gave a small chuckle, "I suppose that it's extremely poetic that this happened today of all days," he remarked.

Sha'ira couldn't help but give a small laugh, "indeed it is. Happy birthday Jonathan Shepard,"


	20. Chapter 20: Burn away what you were

A/N: _Italics _indicate internal thought.

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

In response to reviews

**Aetemus: **Your entitled to your opinion. But let me explain Liz is not naïve, she knows how bad things are. She's just more concerned about her brother becoming an unfeeling monster.

* * *

**Burn away what you were**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, The Pit.**

**Date: 18th February, 2181**

**Time: 0030 CST**

At the top floor of the Pit was a large Penthouse complex. It consisted of several large open rooms, with several expensive pieces of artwork, both paintings and sculptures artfully displayed. There were several individuals of varying species, all armed, sitting on the couches, or leaning against the walls around the Penthouse. Behind a closed door was a room, once again with several dramatic pieces of artwork surrounding a large desk and luxurious chair. This was the residence and office of Dahlia Dantius.

The afore mentioned Asari was staring out the picture window at the back of her office. It gave her a perfect view of the arena. It was completely silent now; all the events having ended for the night. The Asari basked in the view, this was her domain, she controlled all of this, anything that happened here, happened because she desired it. Suddenly her face morphed into a scowl, as she thought about the parasite that had infected her kingdom.

A Krogan approached her from behind, "the human ignored my gracious offer. He is going to learn what a grave mistake that was," she snarled in a tone as cold as ice, "you have made the correct arrangements?" She asked rhetorically. If he hadn't made them, he wouldn't have dared to show his face to her.

"Yes ma'am," the Krogan responded, "the usual contributions have been given to the correct C-sec hands. We have a guy ready to deliver the gift to the apartment tomorrow night. When the officers investigate, they'll report that the two women died in a terrible accident."

A sinister smile formed on the Asari's lips.

One floor below, in the high-class spectator boxes, Two Asari and a Turian were guarding an elevator. This elevator was the only way to access Dantius' penthouse, and could only be used by someone who had the correct codes.

"So, how did you to do in the betting pool," one of the Asari asked. The Turian growled, "I lost a thousand credits. How the fuck did that human beat twelve fighters on his own?"

The other Asari grunted, "he can't be a damn ape, he's gotta be like a cyborg or something. Yeah, some Salarian nutcase took a human and loaded him with cybernetics."

The others looked at her like she was an idiot, "you can't be—" the Turian was suddenly cut off as all the lights on the floor went out.

All three of them tensed and reached for their weapons, one of the Asari activated her omni-tool. "Is everything okay upstairs?" she asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. What happened?" one of her Batarian colleagues upstairs responded.

"Lights went out down here," she said. "Probably something wrong with the relay, go fix it," the Batarian replied, uncaring, before ending the call.

The Asari rolled her eyes, before she activated her flashlight function and began to walk down the hallway. As she turned the corner her eyes widened as she saw the power relay box.

… Or rather what was left of it.

The box had a massive hole in the centre, it was almost as if someone had punched right through it.

She ran her hand over the edge of the hole, "how in the name of the goddess…" she wondered. She didn't have much time to consider what was happening, as a second later, a knife was driven through the side of her head.

The other two guards were waiting impatiently for the lights come back on. The Turian followed the Asari, "what is taking you so long, it shouldn't take so long to fix a damn relay," he yelled. He raised his omni-tool flashlight up….

Only to illuminate a large, heavily armoured figure, standing a few inches away from him... And a pistol positioned under his chin. He didn't have time to shout in surprise before his brains were blown out.

The other Asari's eyes widened in shock at what she just witnessed, she desperately tried to activate her omni-tool. But before she could there was a flash of metal, and a knife was embedded in her forehead. She was dead before she hit the ground.

Shepard stepped forward, fully decked out in his Blood Brawl armour, and pulled his combat knife out of the Asari's skull. He walked up to the doors of the elevator, and waved his omni-tool over the terminal.

"Recognised. Nassana, Access Granted," the VI spoke, and the doors of the elevator opened.

As the elevator rose, Shepard took a deep breath and gripped the pistol held in his right hand and the knife in his left.

_I have to keep a cool head here, I'm not fighting against some psychos using knives, these thugs are going to be heavily armed_

Shepard reached within himself and felt his power, then called upon it. This time the red lightning didn't just flicker around him, it surged. Several wisps of smoke began to rise as some components blew. John gave his shoulders a quick role, several pieces of the suit giving into his strength and breaking off. His irises glowing red as he let out a small breath of air, this felt good.

_**Of course, we have no need to hold back on our strength any more.**_

Shepard flinched at the voice, before quickly refocusing its mind.

* * *

**000**

* * *

In the Penthouse foyer two Salarians and a Batarian were guarding the elevator door. The three of them were leaning against the wall, obviously not expecting any kind of action. And why would they be, it was only the serving girl, probably coming to bring up a few more drinks. The Batarian's gaze shifted to the other door that led to the rest of the apartment, where the rest of the guards were undoubtably enjoying a few drinks in the living room and kitchen area.

The three of them involuntarily returned their gaze towards the elevator as they heard the doors open. Their lazy expressions turned to ones of shock as instead of a petite Asari stepping out, they were met with the sight of a large armoured behemoth, bolts of red lighting, lashing out from his form. Armed with a pistol in his right hand, and a combat knife held in a reverse grip in his left.

The Batarian, had no time to react as the trespasser swung the knife at him in a backhand motion. The knife was embedded in the left side of his neck all the way to the hilt, but there was so much force behind the blow that the head of the Batarian was slammed against the wall, leaving a small crater and blood splatter. The two Salarians tried to raise their rifles, but Shepard pulled his knife out of the Batarian's throat, and before the rifles had even been levelled at him, threw it into the chest of one of the Salarians. The other Salarian foolishly turned to look at his falling comrade, giving John a chance to raise his pistol and fire a shot, nailing him in the head.

This shot was heard throughout the Penthouse.

Dahlia's head turned sharply at the gunshot, "what was that?" she said, her tone more one of annoyance than fear. The Krogan and two Asari pulled out their weapons, "I'll check this out, stay in here," the Krogan replied as the three of them walked out of the office. Dahlia walked over to her desk and pulled out her own Acolyte pistol.

Meanwhile all the other guards in the penthouse picked up their weapons and began to advance towards the door that led to the foyer, where they had heard the shot come from.

John loaded a fresh thermal clip into his M-5 Phalanx pistol, and turned his attention back towards the door. He could already hear over a dozen sets of footsteps coming from the other side.

_**Show them our true power…. Show them our true strength…Do not let it flow through you…Force it …**_

John forced the voice from his mind again, but he raised his right fist. He felt the power within him. Calling out to him.

_As much as I loathe to admit it… He's right. Before, I've been able to use this power to accomplish great feats… Take down dozens of enemies armed with guns. But in truth, that only happened in moments when I was near death. Mostly I've been running by the bare minimum of what this can provide me… But that's not going to cut it anymore._

_She told me I could use this power to change things…. If that's true… it's time to see what I'm really capable of…_

John reached out for the power dwelling within him, but instead of merely touching it, and letting it flow through him. He grabbed it and forced it throughout his entire body, he channelled it into every muscle, every joint and every cell of his being. He felt the effect immediately, every part of his body felt like pins and needles. Light began to envelop his fist similar to a biotic aura, but unlike the usual blue colour…. It was red.

John reared his fist back, and slammed it into the door.

To the guards assembled in the hall on the other side, it looked like the door exploded. The upper and lower parts went flying forward, sending up a cloud of dust. They were so stunned they barely noticed the figure moving through the dust cloud. Not until a he raised his pistol and fired a slug through the head of a Turian.

He quickly readjusted as his aim and fired again hitting a Batarian in the throat. To him it seemed like all of the guards were moving in slow motion. He jumped towards the left wall, then pushed off it. He collided with another Turian from the side, and smashed his head into the wall with his right forearm, crushing his skull. He fired again, blowing the brains out of another Batarian in front of him.

It was at this point the rest of the guards finally decided to return fire. John twisted to his right, pressing his back up against the wall to avoid fire. He raised a biotic barrier, and a strange aura of red energy surrounded him, causing any of the few shots that did hit him to have no effect. He aimed his gun again and nailed a Salarian in the head.

Recognising how strong his barrier actually was, John gave up the unnecessary need for self-preservation and simply charged forward. Firing off two more shots, he hit another Batarian in the chest, and another Turian in the head. He pulled the trigger again, but to his dismay it clicked and ejected the thermal clip. Without missing a beat, he pulled another thermal clip out and loaded it into his pistol. He found himself with a Salarian on his right and a Batarian on his left. They both tried to raise their pistols at him, but he was too fast. He placed his pistol under the Salarian's chin and fired, while at the same time, punched the Batarian directly in the chest, smashing him against the wall with several fractured ribs. The Batarian fell to the ground while futilely trying to get air into his punctured lungs. John decided put him out of his misery and fired another shot into the back of his head.

An Asari pointed her shot gun at him and fired, John felt some of the impact, but his barrier still held strong. Shepard gripped his knife, then crouch down and dashed forward. He slashed the Asari's across her left calf, as the Asari screamed she spun around and fell forward, seeing the position he was in John manoeuvred his knife, so that she ended up falling onto it face first.

There were only three guards left between John and the living area. Shepard decided to re-holster his gun in favour of making this close and personal. He ran forward, leapt up and rebounded off the right side of the hall. He was now positioned directly above the left shoulder of a Batarian, as behind the squint, two Turians had turned around were attempting to run back to the living area. The Batarian turned his head to look at the human in shock as he descended on him. While still in mid-air, Shepard threw his knife forward, hitting one of the retreating Turians directly in the back, and sending him to the ground dead. He then brought both his fists together and slammed them down on the Batarian's head. The blow pulverised the Batarian's skull and broke his neck as he was slammed into the ground.

The surviving Turian turned around, and fired at Shepard, his eyes widened in fears all of his shots simply bounced off the red biotic barrier the human generated. Shepard gave a low animalistic growl. This caused the Turian to try and backtrack further, but resulted in him tripping over his own feet and falling onto his rear. Shepard slowly walked up to him, all the while the Turian was still firing his pistol, after a moment it just clicked and the heatsink was ejected.

_**Make him suffer…. make him pay**_

_No! No more mindlessly inflicting pain, I'm going to end the suffering, _Shepard thought in response, he then quickly grabbed the Turian's head, and in one quick motion broke his neck.

Shepard took a moment to look back at the carnage he had wrought down the hallway while he retrieved his knife. He paused for a second to look down at his hands.

_All this time I've only been using this power subconsciously, only relying on its bare minimum effects…. But this…. is this what I can do when I actively call upon it._

John was brought out of thoughts, when a high velocity slug, passed through his left midsection from behind him. Wincing in pain, Shepard quickly jumped to his left and Jump flipped over the kitchen counter.

Looking around the edge of the counter, he saw two more Asari and a Krogan firing at him, but he was successfully covered by the counter.

Seeing that they weren't making any progress towards finally killing this intruder, the Krogan decided that now was the time for more extreme measures. "Keep him pinned down. I'm going to get the grenade launcher," he barked as he walked back towards Dahlia's office. The two Asari gave him a quick glance in surprise, before resuming fire on Shepard's position.

_Grenade launcher?!... Shit, _John thought

Shepard tried to move to a better position, but winced slightly and clutched the gunshot wound. Deciding to try his new method of handling his power on the healing aspect, he once again reached for the energy within himself and focused it around the wounded area. Immediately the pain began to fade and blood stopped flowing from the wound.

Dahlia brought her pistol up as the doors to her office opened, only to lower it slightly as she saw it was her Krogan bodyguard. "What is happening out there," she demanded. "It's Blood Brawl," the Krogan responded simply, he walked over to a what looked like a cupboard built into the wall, and entered the security code. "What?" Dahlia gasped, the door the Krogan was typing on opened, to reveal a large cache of weapons. He immediately grabbed a M-100 grenade launcher from the rack. Dahlia's eyes widened as she saw it, "what in the name of the goddess do you need that for?" She asked, shocked. The Krogan gave her a hard stare, "he's pretty much killed everyone else. No more playing it safe… Oh and I wanna raise after this," he replied, as he walked back out of the office.

Dahlia brought up her omni-tool, "how did that bastard get in?" she mumbled to herself as she viewed the security logs. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the latest ID, "Nassana…. That bitch," she yelled.

John was still pinned behind the counter. He heard the thundering footsteps of the Krogan coming back, and knew he needed to come up with a way to get out of this. He didn't want to see how he stacked up against a grenade point blank to his chest.

The Krogan re-entered the living area and pointed the grenade launcher at the counter, "you shouldn't have come here human," the Krogan roared.

Just as the Krogan pulled the trigger on the weapon, Shepard rolled out from behind the counter, stopping to rest on his right knee. Then a red aura surrounded him and he launched a biotic charge. As John blasted towards the guards in a streak of red light, the grenade passed by his right, destroying the counter in an impressive explosion. John avoided the edge of the blast by mere millimetres. The biotic charge launched him directly into one of the Asari, John delivered a powerful punch right into her chest, coupled with the speed of the biotic charge, the blow shattered her rib cage, ruptured her heart, and left her embedded in the wall. Before the other Asari had even turned her head to register what had happened, Shepard threw his knife, nailing her directly in the right temple.

The Krogan growled, seeing what the human had been able to do and tried to bring about the grenade launcher to fire at this pest again, ignoring the fact that firing a grenade at a target two feet in front of him wouldn't be easy for him to survive either. But Shepard swung his right arm, and knocked the weapon completely out of the Krogan's hands.

_I don't have time to waste on a drawn-out fist fight… I need to take him down fast..., _Shepard tried to strategize.

_**There is a way you could end this battle in a single moment… **_The voice in his mind spoke. Hearing this Shepard's mind instantly recalled the day he had saved that Quarian… What he had done to that Batarian had felt like an instinct at the time. But now Shepard knew different, this power he had, it was his to command, not the other way around.

The human reached out and grabbed the Krogan's face. John yelled as red electricity surged around him. It travelled along his arms and into the Krogan, who proceeded to start screaming. When Shepard had done this to the Batarian he had been so consumed by his anger he barely even registered what he had done. However, Shepard was focused this time, he knew that if he were to truly master the power he wielded, he would have to completely understand it.

And that is why this time, he could feel it. He could feel something inside the Krogan…. Some small grey sphere…. It wasn't something biological…. Maybe it wasn't even physical… but something was there… Something similar in nature to the power within him… But truly pitiful in comparison…like comparing an ember to an inferno. Shepard listened to what his instincts were telling him… And they were telling him to destroy this pitiful thing.

In his mind's view Shepard saw red arcs of lightning shoots into this sphere…. and devour it… leaving nothing in its place. As John stop focusing on what was happening with his power, his attention was brought to the Krogan he was still holding. His scaly skin had shrivelled up, as if pulled tight across his bones, all muscle mass seemed to have vanished. John let the lifeless body drop to the floor.

He paused to look at his hands quickly, _**Good… Good… No longer a mere reaction… Now you control this. **_John shook his head again, in a pointless attempt to quiet the voice.

He turned his attention to the doors of Dantius' office, there was still one more thing he had to do tonight.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Dahlia crouched behind her desk, her acolyte pistol pointed at the door, her entire body was trembling. She had hoped this annoying human had finally been dealt with, but the screams of her bodyguard dashed any of those hopes. She activated the locks on her office door, hoping to keep him from entering.

_It cannot end here… It cannot end at the hands of that bitch… at the hands of a stinking human, _she ranted internally as beads of sweat ran down her forehead.

She tensed up as she heard metallic footstep's walking up to her door, she swallowed hard. She almost dropped the pistol in fear as a large indention was made in the door with a large clang, followed by another one. They stopped, and Dahlia dared to hope for a second that this meant he had given up. This was quickly proven to be false as a second later, a pair of hands squeezed through the gap in the door, and forced it open.

John stepped into the office letting the now broken door slam shut behind him. The Asari fired a stasis attack at the human, but the blue energy she fired simply dissipated on the red energy surrounding him. In her panic she fired a few shots at him, once again they had no effect on his barrier. The human responded by pulling out his own pistol and firing a slug right through her shoulder, causing her to drop her own pistol and fall onto her back in pain.

Shepard slowly walked up to her, he paused for a second in front of her exquisite desk. He gripped the side of it with his left hand, and in one motion, sent it flying into the wall to his right. Her eyes widened at this immense display of strength, what exactly was this human.

In a flash John grabbed her by her throat and slammed her against the back window of her office, cracking it slightly. "You shouldn't have threatened them Dantius," he growled. Desperately trying to pry off the gauntleted hand clasped around her neck, Dahlia gritted her teeth, "are you serious? Is this you pretending to be some righteous hero? Are you telling yourself that your doing this for the sake of your friends?" She gave a small laugh, "I've seen plenty of people like you over the centuries Shepard, you claim you fight for a noble purpose, but you crush everyone you know beneath you, so you can gain a higher standing. We are not so different in that regard." She fixed John with another hard glare, "face the truth human, you're not here for some selfless reason, you're not here as some practitioner of justice. You are only here because you want revenge against me for what I tried to do to you, you're just another monster like us… Blood Brawl," she spat his gladiator name with venom.

_**Even now she thinks she is superior to us…. Do not make her death swift… make her suffer for what she has done.**_

John growled through his teeth and began to lift his left hand to the Asari's face, intending to drain her life as he had the Krogan. When his hand was a mere inch from her face he stopped.

_No. No more inflicting pain just for the sake of it. I know now I was given this power for a greater purpose than just killing people to sate my own desire for revenge._

Shepard withdrew his hand, "you're right Dahlia, I'm not a good person. I've let myself be consumed by the darkness of this place, and hurt those I care about. And I know that the path to atonement will be an almost impossible one, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. So right now, this is me, turning around, and trying to be something better. I didn't come here tonight to kill you out of petty revenge. I came here tonight because this place is a den of pain and suffering, and I'm putting a stop to it," he calmly stated.

Dahlia looked at him bewildered, before she suddenly started laughing again, "you are an idiot human. You think killing me will stop this place? Do you know who helped get you to this point?" She said, a dark grin on her face.

"One of your serving girls," he responded simply.

Dantius just continue to laugh, "the name of that serving girl, is Nassana Dantius. My younger sister." John's eyes narrowed slightly at that revelation, but Dahlia just continued, "all she cares about is you killing me, then she can take over this place and run it herself. You're still just a slave even if you don't realise who your Master is." She started laughing uncontrollably.

"I suppose I should have expected something like that," he stated calmly, "but I'm afraid I'm not going to leave anything for your sister to inherit."

Dahlia stopped laughing to look at him, "what you mean by that?" She demanded.

Shepard looked her in the eye, he slammed her head against the glass again, causing it to crack further, and blue blood to run down the Asari's face. "You treat this place as your kingdom…. Then it is fitting that it shall be your tomb…. You slaver scum." John took one step back and delivered a kick right into Dantius' midsection, sending her smashing through the window.

Dahlia Dantius could only scream as she fell to her death.

Shepard looked through the hole he had made in the window, down into the massive stadium.

He took a moment to stare down at the sands of the arena, how many people had suffered in this place? How many humans had died? How much blood was he responsible for spilling?

John growled in frustration and swung his right fist outward, smashing through another part of the window.

_She was right…. Someone will just show up to take Dantius' place… This place will just keep going and more will keep suffering…. How can anybody ever put a stop to all of this… Kill one slaver…. They'll just be ten more to take their place…, _John mused internally.

_**Have you forgotten…? We have already been told the way to end the torment for good… **_The voice cut his inner dialogue short.

John's eyes narrowed in confusion, what did it mean by that. It only took a second before Shepard's eyes widened in realisation as he recalled the conversation he had, just before setting out to the pit

_Burn it away… There won't be anyone to take over the pit… If the pit no longer exists…. How do I do something like that… _He questioned himself.

_**Are you afraid to truly test your limits?**_

Shepard looked at the floor for a second, thinking it over. "No" he stated, looking up.

_**Then make your way to the centre of the arena… **_It responded.

Just as Shepard began to turn around to make his way back to the elevator, the voice echoed in his head again, _**No…. Take the direct route John…. Learn what you are truly capable of…**_

John turned around to look out the hole he made in the window, was it really asking him to jump? Could he survive that? John contemplated, he had shrugged off powerful blows with almost no injury, but falling several stories…

Shepard aggressively shook his head, he said he was going to test his limits, and so he was.

John took several steps back to get a run up, he then dashed forward.

And leapt out of the window.

Shepard felt the wind rush past him as he began to freefall, the force behind his jump had launched him thirty feet away from the window.

Shepard could see the ground rushing up to meet him, as he got closer, he surrounded himself with the red aura, and the speed of his descent decreased slightly.

He still hit the ground with the impressive crash, creating a small crater in the dirt.

Shepard took a step forward, red lightning crackling around his body. The armour around his legs had been all but destroyed, but otherwise he was completely unharmed.

He slowly walked into the centre of the arena, _now what? _He felt nauseous having to ask whatever this thing was for assistance after what had happened, but he decided to push that the side for now.

_**Before you have channelled the power… And then released it… This time... Do not let go… **_was the cryptic response.

_Don't let go? _Shepard wondered. He raised his right hand and channeled the power through it, as he felt the energy flow through his arm, he tried to follow the advice the voice gave him and directed all of his focus into forcing all of the energy into a single point. Red bolts crackled off the end of his fingertips… Unlike previously, where they simply dissipated, this time they began to converge in the centre of his palm. Noticing this, Shepard tried to channel more energy. More volts began to converge, and John noticed a tiny sphere of red energy form in his hand. It grew to about the size of a pea, before suddenly John's right arm felt like it was burning, it felt like all of his nerves were on fire. He quickly clutched his right forearm with his left hand.

And in that moment, he lost his concentration.

The minuscule ball of energy exploded.

The explosion wasn't large by any means, barely covering a metre in blast radius. However, the force of it still threw Shepard onto his back.

Once the ringing in his ears stopped, Shepard pushed himself back up to a sitting position. He winced in pain as he saw his right hand, his gauntlet was completely gone, exposing the burnt and lacerated flesh of his hand.

_What the hell? _Shepard thought, completely stunned, even as his hand began healing.

_**I believe we will require something…bigger, for our purposes. **_

_Bigger?_

_**Indeed. The idea is to burn the foundation away is it not…. Or do you still fear your power? **_The voice asked mockingly.

A look of determination formed on Shepard's face, under his helmet. He stood back up, and brought both his hands upwards to face each other.

Red lightning shot from both his hands, converging in the centre to form another ball of energy. John gritted his teeth and he felt the burning sensation come back in both of his arms, but he pushed through it. He channelled more and more energy, the sphere was now about the size of a tennis ball. Sweat began to run down his skull, small explosions erupted along his arms and pieces of armour broke off, or in some cases was blasted off. The pain had become almost unbearable, to Shepard it felt like his arms were on fire, but he kept going, he kept going until the sphere was the size of a volleyball.

John let his arms fall to his side, then a massive wave of fatigue hit him, forcing him to drop to his hands and knees. Shepard panted on the ground, coming to the realisation, that as much as he had been holding back with its power, he did have limits. As Shepard opened his eyes, he noticed something quite alarming.

His arms. They had glowing veins of red energy running along them. He was completely shocked by the appearance. They looked similar to fissures of lava in volcanoes. Shepard was desperately trying not to panic.

_What the fuck is this?_ Shepard internally shouted, however this time there was no response.

Shepard relaxed slightly as he saw the fissures begin to fade and eventually his arms return to their normal appearance, but the sight of them had still shaken him.

_Something to think about later_, Shepard turned his attention to the ball of energy floating about a foot off the ground. Shepard gave one last look around the stadium, remembering all had happened to him here. He reached up and took off his helmet. He looked into the fanged face.

_Your old self is gone, become something better, _Sha'ira's words echoed in his head. He dropped his helmet to the ground. He then proceeded to rip off the rest of his destroyed armour, and left it in a pile right next to what would ensure the end of the pit.

"Goodbye Blood Brawl," he said solemnly.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards**

**Time: 0120 CST**

Shepard was back wearing his more casual clothes, his hood pulled over his head, obscuring his face. He had walked several blocks away from the Pit. It hadn't been easy, his entire body still felt exhausted. The amount of power he had expended fighting through Dantius' thugs, in addition to what he created in the centre of the arena, had had a severe effect on him. If anything, this experience had taught him that he had his limits to how much of the strange energy he could generate. It hadn't helped the fact that he had to keep his concentration on maintaining the energy sphere back in the arena.

But he realised now he was reaching the limits of the range where he could effectively maintain his control of the energy, a few more metres, and he would be too far away.

John gave one last glance over his shoulder at the vast monolith of pain and suffering.

Then he released his control.

BOOOOOOM!

The entire area was illuminated in a second, as if it was the middle of the day cycle. The sound of the explosion sent out a massive shortwave, knocking several of the pedestrians near Shepard completely off their feet, and shattering dozens of windows in the area.

Everyone around Shepard either fell to the ground clutching ringing ears, started screaming and running away, or were staring in shock at something in the direction behind.

John turned around. The effect was even more incredible then he could have ever hoped.

It was complete and utter devastation. The entire superstructure had been utterly annihilated. All that could be seen now were several parts of the outer wall, that by some miracle were still standing, but were crumbling and burning even as he watched. As for the inner part of the arena, such as the field and the stands, there was nothing left. The area at the very epicentre of the blast… had been completely vaporised, leaving a completely symmetrical indentation in the ground, still glowing red from the generated heat.

As everyone around him screamed in fear at the site, a smile formed on John's face. Not one that was malicious or sadistic, but one of proud accomplishment.

_With this place gone, no more humans will suffer in its fights…. But it's just the start… The first tiny step on the long hard road towards liberating all humans across the galaxy._

He turned around and began to walk away, _well I guess I better get started._


	21. Chapter 21: Farewell to the Citadel

A/N: _Italics _indicate internal thought.

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Farewell to the Citadel**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Lower Wards, **

**Date: 18th February, 2181**

**Time: 0200 CST**

Nassana could only stare in horror at the smouldering remains of what had once been the Pit.

She fell to her knees. How could this have happened? Her plan was for the human to kill her sister, then she could take over her sister's enterprises herself. She would finally have the kingdom that her sister had lorded over for years. The kingdom that she deserved.

But now…. There was nothing for her… There was nothing left at all…The Pit, was now nothing but a charred husk.

"What did this?" She whispered to herself.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Unknown to the Asari, the source of her woes was merely a few blocks away, walking into a small abandoned apartment building.

As the rusted doors shut behind him, John turned his attention to the figure standing in the corner of the room, obscured by shadows.

"I would ask if you were successful in your task," Sha'ira said, as she stepped into the light, "but if anyone did not notice what happened, they must be blind and deaf,"

"You told me to burn away the foundation," the human responded.

"Indeed. With the destruction of the Pit, no more human slaves will die just to entertain the masses here. And due to the fact that you completely levelled the structure, there will be no one willing to invest the amount of credits required to rebuild it. Thus, it will not rise again under someone else's control," she paused for a moment, "but we both know what you destroyed was barely a tiny speck of the darkness that consumes this galaxy. You have hardly started towards your ultimate goal," The Asari said, stating the obvious.

"What about Tali and Liara? Dantius might have already sent someone to kill them?" John asked urgently.

"Anyone that was hired to do that despicable deed will not carry it out when they realise that the person paying them, is no longer able to do so. It would seem that you are capable of far more than I thought," the Asari commented sagely.

Shepard stared silently at her for a second, before looking at his right hand, "I've had this power for months, and it turns out I've only been using the bare minimum of what it's capable of…simple actions, barely more than instincts…. Just now though…. letting loose with it… I realised something," John raised his head, and looked the Asari straight in the eye, "I don't know the first thing about what this power is, but I'm thinking… you do."

Sha'ira looked away from him again, "you are correct. I do possess knowledge of the power you now wield. Both its nature… and its potential,"

"I need some answers," John pleaded.

The matriarch looked back at him, "even the smallest portion of knowledge I could give you, would make you considerably more powerful," her eyes narrowed, "and considerably more dangerous."

Shepard looked down crestfallen, "you don't think I'm worthy of such knowledge… you're probably right," he admitted.

"Tell me when you fought your way through Dantius and her minions, what did you feel when you did so?" She asked.

Shepard gave a deep sigh, "I was focusing on my goal. To bring down this place and end all the suffering it caused… but even then…. When I had them at my mercy…. I wanted to make them suffer… I wanted them to pay," John clinched his fists, "I've still got a lot of that anger inside me."

"It is a natural feeling, to want to hurt those who have wronged you. But you are correct, you have taken but your first step towards redeeming yourself. It will not require much for you to fall into the abyss again," Sha'ira stated.

The Asari took a moment to look out the window, "if you continue on the path towards the liberation of your people, then it is inevitable that we will encounter each other again. When we do so, and if you have remained true to what you promised, then I will share my knowledge of the power you now wield," she explained.

John gave a quick nod, "so, you said you'd explain what the next stage of my path was," he said.

"You have an immeasurable supply of courage, and incredible strength. However even you will not be able to achieve what you seek alone. You must find those who share your desire." The Asari stated, cryptically.

John tilted his head to the side, "you have an idea where I can find some people like that?" He asked, impatiently.

"Well, I was told that Hell always requires more guard dogs," she responded, simply.

John's eyes widened in in shock, realising who Sha'ira was suggesting, "I thought the whole purpose of this was to end slavery without becoming as monstrous as the slavers. Your suggestion is to reach out to those whose mission statement is bombing marketplaces and hospitals?" John responded, sarcasm evident in his tone.

Sha'ira responded calmly, "The followers of Cerberus carry great rage in their hearts. So, they act in ways they are told help their cause, when in truth it only increases hate and suffering in this galaxy. In that regard I suppose they are rather like you. But I believe that if you were to speak to them, you could guide them in a wiser direction. A direction towards truly achieving their goal."

John gave a humourless chuckle, "yeah I just show up at the Cerberus fleet, and tell them I'm going to lead them to greatness. Why would they listen to what I have to say?"

"Show them what you can offer their cause Jonathan, and instruct them in the best way to use it. You have gifts beyond your physical capabilities after all," John instantly knew she was referring to the exo-suit armour he had built.

"Okay. How do I find that then?" John relented.

"I have a ship waiting in docking bay B12. It and the people in it, can take you where you wish to go. It can depart as soon as you arrive," the Asari explained.

John looked down for a second, "tell them to wait a few hours, there are certain things I need to finish before I leave."

Sha'ira nodded in understanding, "by the way, I have something for you. It was a gift. I believe your sister meant to give it to you," She tossed Shepard a small device, about the same size as a coin.

As Shepard was walking out of the room, she called out to him again, "I wish you the best of fortune Jonathan Shepard, and remember, nobody chooses your path but yourself,"

John walked through several of the abandoned building's hallways, until he came to stop. He quickly glanced around to make sure that he was completely alone, _if there was a chance of us being eavesdropped on, Sha'ira wouldn't want to talk here, _he reasoned internally.

He pulled out the device that she had tossed him, it was a messenger disc, the same device he had been using to send messages back to his family. Pressing the button, a holographic screen appeared showing the face of a young woman.

"Ash," John whispered under his breath.

"Hey farmboy, happy birthday," the message began, "I really wanted to come with Liz and wish you the best in person, but the damn hinge heads were stingy enough about letting her go." She took a deep sigh, "things are kinda bad here John. Me, Liz and the other humans do everything we can to show that we're on the same level as our Turian classmates, some of us are even better. But no matter what we do, they take any opportunity to cut us down. Every Turian cadet I've had to interact with acts like I should treat them like a General already, it's so frustrating."

She paused for a minute to collect herself, "which is why I know that things must be much worse for you. I know you said that the people who bought you treat you okay…. but every other alien on that station must treat you like a piece of garbage."

"John, I know I'm probably asking way too much, with how badly you've been suffering, but please, please, try to remain the good man that I remember. The man your family desperately misses. The man I love," with that the message ended.

Shepard clenched his fist around small disc, then rested his fist against his forehead, _so sorry hellcat…. yet another person I've failed….. But I'm going to make this right._

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Zakera Ward, **

**Time: 1000 CST**

John stood outside the door to an apartment, he quickly looked at his omni-tool to doublecheck that he was at the right address. Confirming that it was, he rang the doorbell.

On the other side of the door, he could hear footsteps approaching, before the door opened. He saw that the one who had answered the door was the young Turian girl he had seen with Joker back at the casino.

She looked at him, puzzled for a moment, before her eyes widened in recognition, "hey you're Jeff's friend," she exclaimed.

John gave a small smile to try and appear less threatening, "that's right, can you get one of your parents please? There's something I need to talk about, it's about Jeff."

The door closed as the girl ducked back into the apartment. She returned a few minutes later accompanied by her father. Upon seeing the human, he fixed him with an uneasy look, before looking down at his daughter, "Octenea please go and wait with your mother, this is something private."

"All right dad," she replied.

The Turian turned his gaze back to Shepard, "you do know it is dangerous for a human slave to be out without their master's permission," his tone wasn't aggressive, but it was sombre.

However, John's eyes narrowed at the statement, "I'm not a slave any more, I've bought my freedom, I'm here on no one's business but my own," he replied, his tone cold.

"Very well, what business do you have with me?" the Turian asked.

"It's about the slave you purchased…" John's voice trailed off as he realised, he did not know this man's name.

"My name is Kaesrius Acanis," he said, realising the human's problem.

It was at that moment that Joker walked up behind the Turian, "Mr Acanis, you wanted me to…" Jeff's eyes widened in shock as he saw who was at the front door, "Shepard…. What are you doing here?"

"I'm leaving the Citadel Jeff," he turned to look back at the Turian, "how much did you pay for my friend," he said, in a slightly scathing tone.

"I don't see how that is any of your…." Kaesrius tried to respond.

"How much?" John interrupted.

The Turian narrowed his eyes at the human, "one million credits," he replied.

John pulled up his omni-tool, "here's three million for you to terminate his slave contract immediately."

Joker's eyes widened at the amount of credits Shepard was talking about. Kaesrius looked at John suspiciously, "do you mind if I ask you, how you came into possession of such a large amount of credits?" he asked.

John's eyes met the Turian's, "you should know better than me 'officer' that there's plenty of shit that happens on the station that should be illegal, but it isn't, because it only happens to people who don't matter," he replied, sarcastically.

Kaesrius looks slightly guilty as he realised what the human was referring to. "Are you all right with this Moreau?" he turned to his human slave.

Joker responded, "You and your family have treated me better than probably most of the people on the station would have, you are defiantly good people…. But I do have my own family back home, and I'd really like to go back to them."

The Turian nodded his head in understanding, "of course," he turned back to Shepard, "I agree to terminate his slave contract… for the same price it was purchased," he said, activating his on omni-tool.

"Fine. Let's go Joker," John stated.

"Wait…. Just give me a minute, okay Shepard" Joker said.

_**He has become infected… He feels kindness towards those filth… Kill this traitor.**_

John had to stop himself from flinching as the demonic voice resonated through his head again. "Take as long as you need Jeff," John replied.

A small smile graced Joker's lips as he and the Turian re-entered the apartment. Shepard waited outside patiently for a few minutes. Eventually, the door reopened and Kaesrius and Joker stood there again, the latter carrying a small backpack.

The Turian placed a hand on the young human's shoulder in a supporting manner, "I wish the best for your future Moreau," he said. "Thank you," Joker responded.

Shepard's body tensed up involuntary at the site of companionship between them. John's eyes widened slightly as he looked down at his clenched fists, _I just got angry at the site of Joker being friendly with a Turian…. that anger… it still feels like a gut instinct…like something I can't help but do._

John took a deep breath to calm himself, _I need to remember… There are good aliens. Remember Tali, Liara and the others._

"Yo Shepard, are you okay?" Jeff asked. John's head shot up, not realising that his friend was standing next to him now, "yeah... fine Jeff, let's go," he replied.

As they began to walk towards the docking bays, John could tell his friend was troubled, he sighed before saying, "Joker if there's something you need ask me, please just ask it."

His friend looked at him with a great deal of uncertainty, "you need to be level with me John, where did you get that amount of credits? What did you mean by stuff that isn't illegal but should be?"

John looked down, he didn't want to tell one of his closest friends what he'd been through these past few months. What he'd become.

John cradled his face in his right hand as his entire body trembled slightly. "I've…. I've done a lot of bad stuff these past few months Joker…. I thought I'd run out of options…. So, I resorted to the worst places on the Citadel," he said shakily.

Joker was starting to get scared for his friend at this point, "John what happened to you…? I thought you told me that those two girls who bought you treated you right?" he questioned.

"They treated me fine Joker, they were good people….. That's one of the reasons I wanted to pay them back so badly, so I could get home…. They didn't force me into anything….. my choices were my own…. I fought in the gladiator arena," John responded, his face still in his hands.

Joker froze up at that, "you…you fought…. You fought in the Pit," Joker stuttered.

"Yes," John responded quietly, "that's not the worst of it," Jeff could only stare at his friend with wide eyes at his explanation.

John turned towards him, "I didn't earn the credits for both our freedoms just a few days ago…. truthfully, I had earned that amount about four months ago…. The worst part is even after having the credits I needed…. I still kept fighting."

"Why?" Joker asked, his voice barely a croak.

"Because I thought I was punishing those who deserved it… I came up with a lot of ways to delude myself into thinking what I was doing was some righteous cause….. But the truth was… I got addicted to killing them… To that feeling of standing over them…," John trailed off.

"I lost myself Jeff, I didn't even realise it later on, "John continued to explain what had happened to him, "When Tali and Liara found out about it three months ago…. They wanted me to stop…. they wanted to help me…. but I… but I scorned them…. I even…I even attacked them. And the most heinous thing was, that even after all of that…. I just kept on fighting in that place,"

Both of them had stopped now, Joker staring ahead in shock, Shepard trying to avoid eye contact with his friend.

"It wasn't until last night that I realised what I'd become… Too bad it wasn't until after I'd hit my own sister," John finished.

Both of them stood in silence for what seemed like an age, but what was in truth several minutes. Eventually Joker turned to look at Shepard, "I've seen some pretty bad shit while I've been on the Citadel as well…. I guess it was naive of me to think that you would be unchanged by it as well... Maybe you're not the friend I knew, but I don't think I am either," Joker placed his hand on John's shoulder, "you've done some bad things John…. you've become someone you never wanted to be, there's no denying that…. But you've admitted that…. And now you want to try and become a good person again…. So, I'll be there to help you find your way back and make sure you stay on track," John could only smile at his friend.

"Thanks Jeff…. You have no idea how much that means,"

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel Docks **

**Time: 1030 CST**

Joker and Shepard were striding along the walkway to the designated docking bay, having just had Joker de-processed at a nearby auction house. Shepard observed that it was a fairly small ship, obviously designed for speed and not storage capacity.

As they approached the boarding ramp, they were met by two figures. One was Kaidan wearing his usual white armour. The other was Miranda, who had exchanged her usual extravagant dress, for a strange white and black skin-tight suit, with black thigh-high boots.

"Glad to see you're finally here Shepard," Miranda remarked, she turned to look at Joker, "and this is?"

"Jeff Moreau. He's a friend, I just bought his freedom," Shepard replied. Miranda looked at their unexpected visitor with narrowed eyes, "does he have a full understanding of the situation?" She asked, knowing that Shepard would understand what she was referring to.

John quickly glanced at his close friend, "can we talk more safely on the ship?" he requested.

Miranda nodded, and the four of them walked onto the ship. Joker turned to Shepard, "what am I not understanding John? What else haven't you told me yet?" He demanded.

John took a deep breath, "I wanted you to leave the Citadel with me Jeff, but this next part you don't have to join, if you want, we can just drop you off back at Mindoir. The truth is I can't just ignore everything I've seen, I'm going to do something about it. You can come with me or go home. The choice is yours Joker," John told him.

Jeff looked at the ground for a minute, "I told you I'd help you atone for what you did… I'm not gonna do that by sitting back on the farm," he replied with a small smile.

"Very well then, we will depart immediately," Miranda cut in.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Bachjret Ward, T'soni apartment**

**Time: 1030 CST**

Liz sat on the couch, her head held in her hands as she desperately tried to prevent herself from crying again. The events of the previous night had left her shaken, she still couldn't believe how big of a change her brother had undergone in the months since he had been captured. He always seemed to have the strongest spirit out of all of their siblings, she thought there was no way he could ever become so aggressive.

Liara sat down next to her and gently rubbed her back, "it was such a shock to us as well, his outrage when we confronted him about his fights, we never knew he had such anger inside of him," she said soothingly.

Liz turned to look at the Asari, she'd been kind enough to let her and Garrus stay at her apartment for the night, something she especially needed after what had happened with her brother.

"Hey girls," Tali called out to them, "Something just arrived for us," she held up a messenger disc.

Liara looked at her friend with mild annoyance, "We will have a look at it later Tali," she said.

The Quarian began to fidget slightly, "that's the thing Liara…. The person who dropped it off…. They said it was for all three of us," she responded, gesturing between herself the human and the Asari.

Liz looked up at that information, "who exactly dropped this off?" she asked suspiciously.

"Some Asari, I didn't get a name," Tali responded. She sat down on Liz's other side and placed the disc on the coffee table in front of them.

The disc lit up, and the holographic screen was projected in front of the three women. Three pairs of eyes widened as they saw the image on the screen.

"Tali, Liara, Liz I hope of three of you are there right now, there's a lot I want to say and I don't have a lot of time to say it. So, I'll start with this. I am so sorry. Sorry for everything I did. For attacking you. For scorning your help. I know that nowhere near makes it right. So, I promise, I will earn your forgiveness."

"Tali, I'm so sorry for what I said about your people, no one deserves to suffer as much as the Quarian people have, especially for crimes committed generations ago. You are a very kind person, and deserve to be treated a lot better than the people of this station treat you. I hope one day the things become better… For both our peoples."

"Liara I cannot apologise enough for judging you for what the Citadel council has done to humanity. You are one of the kindest people I've ever met. You are a selfless person who has dedicated themselves to helping others, and I hope one day I can see you again once I feel like I've atoned for what I did to you."

"Liz, if you hadn't come…. I wouldn't have been able to the face the truth about what I'd turned into. Thank you so much for that. I'm so sorry that it took me striking you to realise it. I want to tell you that I'm going somewhere where I can get my head straight. And once I do, I'll let mum and dad and all of our brothers and sisters know that I'm safe, after that I'm going to enlist in the Alliance military. I hope next time we see each other in person, I will have earned the right to call myself your brother again," with that the message terminated.

All three of them were unable to hold back their tears any longer.

* * *

**000**

* * *

The ship's engines powered up, and the ship slowly pulled out of the dock. The velocity of the small craft increased as it began to exit the Citadel's artificial gravity.

Unlike when he had arrived, Shepard had an observation window where he had a spectacular view of the station. The central ring supporting five colossal wards. The never-ending series of ships entering and exiting the docks. If he hadn't set foot on there and seen what had really happened on its surface, he might call the site majestic.

Shepard turned his gaze away as the ship approached the mass relay. He didn't know what awaited him in his near future, but he now knew what he was going to do.

Arcs of blue lightning shot from the core of the relay to the ship. In a massive streak of blue light, they left the Citadel behind.


	22. Chapter 22: The Guard Dogs of Hell

A/N: _Italics _indicate internal thought.

**Bold **indicates Shepard Reaper speech

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Also for Shepard's energy blades, think of a cross between an omni-blade and a StarCraft Psionic Blade

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

In response to reviews

**Kyle77776: **I'm not sure I'd be able to handle two stories at once. In regards to what you're asking, I am planning to incorporate something like that into the story but a bit further down the line.

* * *

**The Guard Dogs of Hell**

* * *

**Location: Unregistered Vessel**

**Date: 18th February, 2181**

**Time: 1600 CST**

John was leaning against a bulkhead, staring out of the window opposite him, watching the blue light give way to a view of stars as they exited yet another Mass Relay.

Joker was sitting in a nearby chair, his frustration getting more obvious as he tapped his foot with increasing frequency. As the ship approached another Relay and their view was once again enveloped by a blue light, Joker stood up. "Why has it taken us so many jumps? It feels like we're going in circles," he remarked impatiently.

"We are," Kaidan said from behind them, he was standing in the cockpit nearby, right behind Miranda who was sitting in the pilot's chair, "we double back on our path several time to throw off anybody following us." Joker raised an eye brow before asking, "But didn't we leave in a ship belonging to the Consort?"

"This ship isn't registered Jeff," John cut in turning to his friend. He turned his attention to Kaidan, "And the Cerberus fleet has probably only survived this long by taking every precaution to protect the secret of its location, right?"

"Yes," Miranda said, joining in the conversation, "the number of people who have actually left the fleets location is incredibly small. This is actually going to be the first time a ship had travelled to the fleet's location in a few years."

Shepard looked between the two of them, "So explain this to me," he said, "You two are slaves of one of the most prestigious and public figures in Citadel space, and you know the location of one of the Citadel's biggest enemies," from his tone it was clear that he expected an answer.

Kaidan and Miranda looked at each other momentarily before Miranda responded, "as far as anyone else in Cerberus knows, we are undercover agents gaining information. The truth is before all of that Sha'ira found us, she told us of her goal, and suggested we join Cerberus to make it a reality,"

John narrowed his eyes, "And you choose to follow her just on her word?" he asked.

Both Kaidan and Miranda looked away slightly uncomfortable, "we believe in her goal of making a better galaxy," Miranda said plainly. Shepard wasn't convinced, "It's more than that though," he concluded, "there's a personal reason you are so loyal to her."

Kaidan took a deep breath before answering, "she saved me from being snatched up by the Hierarchies biotic training program. She also helped me contact my parents,"

Miranda's hands were trembling slightly, as she recalled some bad memories, "she found me when I was running from something terrible. She saved me and helped me protect something very dear to me."

Shepard flinched slightly at how hostile he may have sounded, "I'm sorry if I seemed...She went out of her way to help me too."

"It's okay you didn't know," Kaidan said before his gaze was drawn back to the window, "anyway it looks like we're almost there." Joker and John looked out the window to see the ship enter a large asteroid field. Shepard's interest was piqued as he saw the asteroids gleam slightly.

"These are metal ore asteroids," he stated. "Yeah, which is why that is able to remain undetected," Kaiden responded pointing out of the window, John followed the line and his eyes widened slightly at what he saw.

He had never seen one in this state before, without its rotating rings, it was hard to recognise it from a distance, but there was no denying it. It was an inactive mass relay.

"Entering proximity of Tartarus relay. Activating scanners," Miranda announced. A painstaking thirty minutes passed. "No other signals detected. We're all clear to enter,"

John turned to Kaidan with a confused expression, "I thought that we needed to give relays a few moments to activate before we can use them? And isn't activating a relay going to attract the attention of the Council,"

"In most circumstances you'd be right," Kaidan said, he then frowned slightly, "but that is one of the boss's incredible breakthroughs. He was able to develop a programme which would activate the relay for only a second. Don't ask me how he did that, no one has any idea," he quickly added noticing their shocked expressions, "but it essentially allows us to use this relay without anybody else knowing."

And just as Kaidan had explained, as the ship approached the Relay, a small blue light appeared, and the rings began to move slightly. Neither of the two Mindoirians had a chance to be surprised by this as a bolt of energy struck their ship, and they were flung light years away in a streak of light. In their wake the light of the Relay instantly died down, and the rings return to being stationary.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla**

**Time: 1700 CST**

There was a tiny flicker of light from the systems inactive relay, as the small ship entered the system, after which the Relay, like its counterpart returned to its dead state. The ship then entered the nebula.

John immediately stepped up to the window, so he could get a better view. He saw the large imposing forms of dozens of ships, ranging from frigates to full sized dreadnoughts. And beyond those, he could see thousands of flickering lights, each indicating the presence of other ships. John was momentarily stunned.

"I never expected this many ships," he muttered.

"Yeah," Kaidan chuckled, "the Council really likes to downplay how large we actually are."

"I don't get it," Joker almost shouted, "if you have all these ships? Why don't you just take the fight to those bastards?"

"This may look like an impressive number of ships to you," Miranda responded, seemingly irritated by his ignorance, "but we still don't have nearly enough ships to fight the Council in a drawn-out conflict."

John hadn't torn his gaze from the window, his eyes narrowed slightly, "I was also expecting these ships to be wrecks, barely holding together…. But these are high quality warships…. And newly constructed," He observed.

"That's thanks to them," Kaidan said, while pointing out the window.

Just then a massive structure entered their view. It was colossal, the size, easily exceeding any of the ships, and John could see why. The structure was almost two kilometres in length, from the front it had a segmented arc shape, and within the empty space Shepard glimpsed another warship under construction.

"Mobile dry docks…" Shepard said fascinated.

"Indeed," Miranda remarked, "with them we are able to construct an entire ship in open space," her face took a slightly grim expression, "They were personally designed by the Illusive man."

"How did you find resources to construct all this stuff? And completely hidden as well?" John asked curiously.

Kaidan fidgeted uncomfortably, "we have the location of several unknown systems rich in resources, even a couple of garden worlds, that the council don't know anything about. We mine our resources from there."

"Should I hazard a guess and assume that your boss gave you the locations of those systems," John asked suspiciously. Their silence was all the answer he needed.

"So essentially… All of Cerberus's strength is from one person," Shepard mumbled under his breath.

_I have to be careful of this man, sounds like it could be incredibly dangerous, _Shepard thought as their small ship made their way to large skyscraper like space station.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters, Chronos Station.**

**Time: 1720 CST**

The small ships docked at the station and the four passengers walked down a ramp into a small, and completely deserted docking bay.

Joker scratched the back of its head slightly, "Okay… I was expecting an armed escort, you know, making sure we weren't Citadel spies or something," voicing his thoughts out loud.

"And you're right to expect something like that," Miranda responded, "standard Cerberus procedure is that you are immediately detained for several weeks, while a thorough background check is run on you to ensure there is no chance that you might betray us to the Citadel,"

"Then why is it different for us?" John asked suspiciously.

Kaidan crossed his arms and looked away nervously. Miranda pursed her lips while considering what to say, eventually she looked at him, "Shepard I promise you, I was not the one to inform him about you, but somehow he is aware of what you've done and what you're capable of. As a result, you have gained his personal interest. He actually wants to speak with you immediately,"

"Damn Shep. We just got here and you're already getting in good with the boss," Jeff joked while elbowing Shepard lightly. John's eyes only narrowed in response to what Miranda had said.

_If Miranda didn't tell this Illusive man about me…. then how the hell did he find out?_

John was brought out of his thoughts as the four of them approached a small elevator, "Kaidan, watch over Moreau while I take Shepard to see the Illusive man," said Miranda.

John turned to his friend, "you gonna be okay Jeff?" He asked, he was still extremely suspicious about this place and all the people here. He was particularly afraid of the Joker being used as leverage against him.

Jeff's response was to give his typical grin, "I'll be fine John, you go meet the new boss," he said, giving a thumbs up.

"You don't need to worry about anything Shepard. At the moment the Illusive man is the only one who knows you're here," Kaidan added.

John took a deep breath to calm himself down, before he followed Miranda into the elevator. The two them stood in silence as they ascended. "So, is there anything you can really tell me about your boss?" he asked, partially with sarcasm.

Although her composure remained flawless, John could tell asking that had made her nervous. "I will say this. You've never met anyone like him, so don't assume you have," she responded plainly.

_What the hell does that mean? _he wondered.

John didn't have much time to think about Miranda's words as the elevator suddenly opened. He was finally offered a view of the mysterious mastermind behind Cerberus. The Illusive man was currently sitting in his chair facing towards them. At first glance, Shepard didn't think the man was much of in terms of appearance, he looked to be in his sixties with greying hair, and was currently enjoying a drink. Of course, Shepard had learned from his experiences never to judge something based on appearance. Hell, look at him, no one would consider that he was responsible for several dozen deaths.

However, once the old man looked him directly in the eye, John couldn't help but flinch. The moment he felt the gaze of those lifeless orbs fall upon him, a terrible feeling of cold flooded his body.

_What…. What the hell is this…. Why the hell does…? _He couldn't even formulate thoughts to what was happening.

John quickly regained his composure, although he had no doubt that the man had seen it. The Illusive man proceeded to study every inch of Shepard with his eyes in complete silence.

"Welcome Jonathan Shepard. I'm glad to see you agreed to come." The man's voice was almost as bad as his stare. It was cold and rasping, like the life behind the voice and died a long time ago, but it kept going on.

The man looked past him to Miranda, "Well done for bringing him here Miss Lawson," he congratulated. John looked over his shoulder at Miranda, "How important are you to this group?"

The Illusive man answered Shepard before Miranda could, "Miss Lawson has been working undercover at the Citadel for several years, providing vital information on the Citadel's upper echelon."

Shepard crossed his arms over his chest, "I was told you granted me private audience. Should I be flattered?" Shepard questioned, trying to keep all emotion out of his voice.

If the man was offended by Shepard's apparent lack of respect, he didn't show it, "I don't think you give yourself enough credit young man. I believe with what you have to offer, you would be invaluable in the coming war," he responded.

Shepard grimaced slightly, "what I have to offer?" He asked. Although John already had a pretty good idea of what this man was referring to, he was just praying to whatever deity existed in this galaxy, that he was wrong.

A small smile graced the Illusive man's lips, and the aura of coldness the man was giving off, suddenly exploded in intensity. Shepard thought he would actually drown in oppressive waves of the man's frigid ambience. For the first time in what felt like months, John actually felt fear.

"Please do not waste my time with pointless questions Shepard. You know exactly what I mean. The Illusive man activated his holographic display and pressed a few buttons. Several screens appeared, each replaying an event.

Shepard looked at them his eyes widening slightly in horror. He saw the fight where his powers first awakened. The time he had drained the life out of those rapists. The fight where he had fought over a dozen enemies at once. Even his massacre through Dantius's apartment.

"This power you wield is quite fascinating, with some additional training you could become an unstoppable warrior. You could become the spearhead of our counter-attack against the Xeno slavers," the Illusive man explained. He leant back in his chair slightly and the icy atmosphere he was projecting rescinded slightly before he continued, "but of course, one man, no matter how powerful, is not an army. That is why I believe you can offer us more than your immense strength. You can also offer us your mind."

The Illusive man brought up a still image of Shepard wearing his exo suit, "quite a feat of engineering I must say. The Asari and Salarians have been toiling for centuries to create something like this. Yet you accomplished it using supplies from a junkyard," he said, a fair deal of admiration in his voice.

John let out a sigh before looking at the ground, "don't get too excited, that armour only worked for me because of this," he held up his right arm and activated his power, causing several bolts of red lightning to dance across his forearm. Miranda took a step back in slight shock at seeing Shepard's power so close for the first time. What was strange though was the Illusive man's reaction. John thought he might have imagined it but for a split second he thought he saw the older man view his power with a look of insatiable hunger, unfortunately, it vanished before Shepard could confirm if he was seeing things or not. Pushing the thought out of his mind Shepard continued, "and anyway I kept blowing every component in the suit with my power, it's useless in a drawn-out fight."

The smile didn't leave the Illusive man's lips, "understandable, but I feel confident that with the scientific resources that Cerberus can provide, you will find solutions to these issues," he said.

_This man's been giving me a bad feeling ever since I got here. Is working with this guy really the best way to achieve the goal of liberating humanity? I really don't think were fighting the same war._

_**What does it matter if his vision is different than ours? We will use him to achieve our desires… And if he would stand in the way of our rise…. Then we will crush him as we will crush anyone else who would stand in our way.**_

Shepard put all of his focus into not showing any reaction to the voice's words, if he hadn't, he might have seen the Illusive man raise an eyebrow as if in response to his inaudible exchange.

_Sha'ira told me I was supposed to work with these people, but show them a better path towards our goal._

John looked back at the Illusive man, and boldly took a step towards him, "I'm gonna make this very clear for you. I am here because I want to liberate humanity from the forces that enslave it, but I will do it my way. So, any weapons or technology I make will only be deployed as I see fit. Any missions I partake in will be ones where I've been given all the relevant information and I will carry them out as I choose. I was told I have the potential to save this galaxy, but I am the one who will decide how I will do that."

The Illusive man didn't show any signs outrage or annoyance. In fact, the expression didn't seem to change at all from his seemingly eternal neutral one. "Very well," he said, "Miranda will take you to your new quarters. Tomorrow she will show you the laboratories, we can begin your work, she will also be assisting you with developing your abilities."

The Illusive man gestured with his right hand as the blue holographic avatar of EDI appeared, "EDI will also be assisting you in your endeavours with us,"

The hologram turned to Shepard, a smile forming on her virtual face, "I am more than happy to assist you in anyway Shepard," she said.

John blinked at the avatar for a few moments before turning back to his enigmatic host, "You created a genuine AI," he stated, partially stunned.

"There is no need for concern. I assure you, you will find her help invaluable," the older man responded, with a small amount of pride in his voice.

Shepard kept his gaze fixed on the Illusive man for a few more moments, before he turned around and walked back into the elevator. Miranda turned to follow him before suddenly, "one moment Miranda, I would like a private word with you," the leader of Cerberus called out to her. Shepard looked over his shoulder at her, his expression clearly asking if she was okay with that, she merely nodded her head in response.

As the elevator began to descend, Miranda walked back to stand a few feet in front of the Illusive man's chair. He took a long drag from his cigarette before speaking, "we both know why you're really here Miranda. We both know your loyalties truly lie with her," his tone wasn't accusing, it was more one of stating a simple fact, however Miranda still flinched slightly from the straightforwardness of the statement. She recomposed herself before responding, "my loyalties lie with those who want to make this galaxy a better place for everyone," she stated through gritted teeth.

He actually gave a small chuckle at that remark, "and she believes she can manipulate him into following her path," he asked rhetorically. Miranda narrowed her eyes at that, "we are not going to force him down any path, we are simply going to remind him that other paths exist for him to choose."

"And you believe he will choose your path. Do you really think he will choose that after everything he has seen? Do you think you will choose that when he sees what horrors these people are truly capable of? You think he will believe they deserve to be spared?" He asked amusement evident in his voice.

Miranda looked down at the ground for a moment, "maybe he won't," she said looking him in the eye, "but I can hope he chooses a better way."

The Illusive man's eyes narrowed dangerously at that, Miranda took several steps backwards at the sheer aura of hostility the man was now giving off. The man gritted his teeth, "hope is when the universe is feeling its cruellest."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters, Chronos Station.**

**Date: 19th February, 2181**

**Time: 0900 CST**

John stood in the middle of one of Cerberus' R&D workshops. Unlike back on the Citadel, where he had been forced to work in a cramped, poorly maintained basement, this room was full of some of the most advanced technology the Galaxy had ever heard of… and even some that he was fairly certain it hadn't.

John was positioned in front of a large table in the middle of the room, a fully detailed, three-dimensional, holographic image of the exo-suit he had used during his gladiator fights was displayed from it.

John cracked his knuckles as he looked around all of the technology he had at his disposal, "let's get started."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters, Chronos Station.**

**Date: 3rd March, 2181**

**Time: 1300 CST**

Shepard was hunched over the workbench, working on a foot shaped structure. At the current time, the device simply looked like the framework, with no armour plating whatsoever. Shepard's focus was currently on attaching what looked like, several miniature thruster engines to the back of the leg.

John activated his omni-tool, "the theorised leg servos within the final suit, would enable the user to survive drops from great heights without any injury. However, the addition of thrusters, would enable the user to carry out high altitude drops. Thrusters would not allow flight, but they would enable the user to slow their descent to safe impact speeds."

Shepard frowned, "unfortunately being able to use the thrusters, ultimately depends on the suit being able to generate more energy than our current designs are capable of."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters, Chronos Station.**

**Date: 17th March, 2181**

**Time: 1200 CST**

John was now standing in what looked like a testing room, a large open space, with several monitoring devices positioned in the corners.

In a neighbouring room, sitting at a large console was Miranda, looking at Shepard through a large observation window. Joker and Kaidan leaning against the back wall behind her.

"All right Shepard we're ready to proceed," Miranda spoke into the microphone, while pressing a few buttons on the holographic keyboard.

Jeff turned his head slightly, to look at Kaidan, "I know you told me a bit about Shepard's freaky abilities… are they really this crazy? He asked unconvinced.

"Just wait and see Moreau, he's been training hard with them for the past few weeks," the man responded.

Shepard's eyes suddenly began to glow a familiar red, and lightning of the same colour surged around his body. Some bolts even flicking off and hitting the walls of the room.

Miranda turned her attention to the monitors, "I've seen this several times over the past few weeks, but I still can't grasp how much energy he actually generates," she said under her breath, in a slightly shocked tone.

She once again spoke into the microphone, "all right Shepard we have seen how you use this energy to augment your physical abilities. In addition, we have also seen how it can be used to power devices. Today we are going to study when you manipulate this energy into stable spheres that release the energy upon your mental command. Now focus on trying to manipulate energy into a mealie weapon."

Shepard nodded and then brought up his right arm to his face. He began to focus and energy surged around his right forearm beginning to intensify. The signs of strain became clearly visible on his face, and a small bead of sweat ran down his forehead as the red energy began to condense around the back of his forearm. Seeing this Shepard tried to concentrate even harder, unfortunately the energy made no further change and eventually he let his right arm drop to his side limply and bent over, clutching his knees panting heavily.

_I need to figure this out…. I need to get stronger_

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters, Chronos Station.**

**Date: 20th March, 2181**

**Time: 1200 CST**

John stood holding two cables, which connected to a device that he had been working on for the past few weeks.

An ARC Battery.

Unlike the flimsy prototype he had constructed back at the salvage yard, this one looked to be of much better quality.

His time at Cerberus was currently dived between his projects like this, improving his powers, or learning about how things really happened in the first Contact War. From sources other than the propaganda vid's he had watched at school.

Miranda stood nearby watching several monitors, "ready to begin," she stated.

Energy surged around Shepard, it travelled down the cables and the ARC battery began to light up.

Miranda checked the readings, "measuring against what we've detected to be the maximum energy you can generate… The battery is currently holding 10%... No signs of structural failure…. all readings are still green."

Hearing this Shepard increased the energy he was generating, the glow of the battery intensified.

"Now reaching… 25%... all signs still normal…. Shepard be careful, we don't want to increase the energy too fast," Miranda said, slightly alarmed.

Shepard paused for a second, letting Miranda's words sink in for a minute, "we didn't build this thing for safety Lawson," he replied before increasing the energy to it maximum. The red energy surged along the cables, the lights in the room began to flicker, and the glow of the battery intensified. Miranda's alarmed expression only grew as she backed up slightly.

With a final yell of exertion from Shepard, the lights in the room went out.

After a few seconds, power was restored to the room and the lights came back on. Miranda lowered her arms, as she realised that the danger had passed her shocked expression turned into a scowl, "what were you thinking you idiot? You could have blown a hole in the station," she yelled.

John however wasn't paying attention to her; his gaze was fixed on something else. Miranda turned to see what he was looking at, and a small smile graced her lips.

The ARC battery was illuminated with a red colour. She quickly brought the monitoring screens back up, "energy readings are stable…. no signs of structural failure of the device…. we did it," she whispered. She walked over to the table and gently picked up the device, marvelling slightly as she looked it over.

"Yeah, we did, we created a portable battery that is capable of an insane amount of energy…. and of course, it's only something I can use," John said the last part with a great deal of annoyance. Miranda turned to look at him, "John this is just the first step towards…." she tried to say but he cut her off, "the first step towards what Miranda?" He asked, frustrated, "Even if these batteries could help us provide the power, we need for the designs we've got…. We can't just rely on me to charge all of them"

"I know we can't," Miranda stated calmly, "like I said this is only the first step. As you've learned, Cerberus has a lot of theoretical designs that could provide us an incredible advantage against the forces of the Citadel, but they require a way to power them successfully. We don't need a battery Shepard. We need a generator."

John gave 'tsk' before turning round to look at her, "well that's a great goal to reach for Lawson, but in case you've forgotten, I am apparently the only person who can generate this kind of energy," Miranda's response was merely to look at him with a smug expression, "why do you think I spent all that time observing you?"

Miranda activated her omni-tool, bringing up several screens. One showing the blood cells in one of his arteries, the other showing his muscle cells, and a third showing his bone structure. All three of the images had one thing in common, they all showed each individual cell generating the red energy,"

Shepard was momentarily mesmerised at the site. _All this time I've been practicing with his power…. I never realised how deep it actually went_.

"As you can see the energy you generate is channelled into every cell of your body, be it skin, muscle or bone. I've spent the last few weeks studying its around-the-clock and I still have no theories about the source of the energy, but I have observed something else," as Miranda explained she zoomed in to an individual blood cell before continuing, "as you channel the energy into your cells, it amplifies the energy. I believe that we can create a synthetic replica of this reaction and incorporate it into the battery."

John's gaze switched a few times between Miranda and the images on the screens, "you really think this is possible…. I mean if we pull this off, it could be…. this isn't gonna be an easy task," he tried to form a sentence.

"Then it's probably best that we get started right away," Miranda stated confidently.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters, Chronos Station.**

**Date: 10th April, 2181**

**Time: 0300 CST**

John was standing in the middle of the testing chamber, he brought his right arm up and concentrated. The red energy surged around his forearm, as he strained the energy began to solidify again. Eventually it formed into a red blade, starting at his forearm and extending over his knuckles by fifteen inches.

_I finally got it stable…. But it requires so much focus just to keep active, _he thought, all the while straining to keep the energy stable.

"All right Shepard, you've stabilised the energy. Now it's time to test it out," Miranda spoke looking through the observation window.

Shepard stepped in front of a large slab of metal, approximately the same size as he was. He brought his arm up and delivered a slash into the large chunk of metal.

The blade cut cleanly into the slab, the millimeters of metal surrounding the cut warped from the heat generated. Unfortunately, Shepard could immediately feel the increase in force he had to apply to keep the blade active, and in the end, he was only able to cut ten inches into the slab before he gave out and the blade vanished.

Shepard held his knees as he panted heavily.

_Still not strong enough…. Not nearly strong enough._

"You are improving John," Miranda's voice called out to him, "you have to remember this isn't something instinctual like before, you're going to need to practice with this."

John could only grit his teeth in response.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters, Chronos Station.**

**Date: 23rd April, 2181**

**Time: 1200 CST**

Shepard was sat at the work bench staring intensely at an ARC battery, both hands were clenched around his head as his fingers trembled slightly.

"RAAAAAAGH," with a yell Shepard stood up, sending the chair flying backward. He brought his fist down onto the battery, crushing it to smithereens and buckling the desk.

"Well you showed that desk whose boss," a slightly amused voice called out from behind him. "We've tried everything Miranda. We've tried every combination, every permitation of every known element. And we're nowhere. Nowhere near recreating the reaction," John ranted in frustration.

Miranda wasn't fazed by his outburst, "there is something Sha'ira told me 'if you limit yourself by what is, you will never see what could be," she quoted.

"How is that suppose to help us with this?" John asked irritably.

"You're still looking at this through too narrow a scope John," Miranda said simply before turning on her heels and beginning to walk away.

"Miranda," he called after her, "why are you so eager to see me completing this? Why can't you do this?"

Miranda looked over her shoulder at him, "because I'm trying to remind you of something," she said. "What?" he asked impatiently, "that you have more to offer the Galaxy as a builder, than as a fighter," with that Miranda left the laboratoty.

Shepard looked back down at crushed desk, _only what is?... too narrow a scope?... What the hell does she mean._

_I've tried everything… every option that exi- _Shepard's thoughts ground to a halt.

_Everything that exists, _his eyes widened in realisation, _just like the energy in my body has never been seen before, the answer to our problem must be something that doesn't exist… yet._

John quickly ran over to nearby terminal, "to amplify the energy photons…. that must mean the atom has….. proven has specific number of neutrons," he began muttering as he created a 3D model of an atom.

Once he was finished, he took a step back, "EDI," he called out, and the avatar of the AI appeared on a nearby terminal, "how may I help you Shepard?" she asked, "run this atom blueprint through the ARC reactor simulation," he said eagerly. "You are aware that this is a non-existent…." The AI tried to explain, "just do it," he cut off.

It only took a nanosecond for EDI to carry out the simulation, but it felt like hours to Shepard, "simulation complete…. the test is positive… This element would work in the creation of ARC reactors…. However, it is impossible to synthesise."

Shepard only grinned in response, "we've got a particle accelerator in this place, right?"

* * *

**000**

* * *

Shepard put a pair of tinted goggles on. He was standing in the centre of a particle accelerator, where he was placing a small metal disc, about 5 millimeters in diameter, in a frame. He walked over to a section of the accelerator which possessed viewing windows, revealing a small prism inside.

"What's all this?" Kaidan called out, as he and Miranda approached John.

Shepard responded with a massive grin on his face, "I think this could be the answer we were looking for," he paused for a second, looking past them, "Jeff not with you?" he asked.

"He's using his time to take extra lessons…. You know they're already calling him a prodigy when it comes to flying a starship," Miranda responded, a mild amount of surprise in her voice.

"Trust me I'm as surprised as you are," Shepard turned his attention back to the accelerator, "EDI, start it up," with that the machine hummed in to life.

Through the window a small blue beam became visible, and began to increase in intensity. After a few seconds of waiting, the prism caused the blue beam of energy to be redirected directly towards the centre, where it hit the piece of metal John had set up.

The small disc began to glow as the beam continued to bombard it. Eventually a huge light exploded out of it, illuminating the entire room and causing all three occupants to shield their eyes. Reacting quickly Shepard shut down the accelerator.

Shepard rapidly made his way towards the centre of the experiment, Miranda and Kaidan trailing behind him. Grabbing a pair of pliers, John picked up the small disc which had now gained an aethereal-like blue glow. He couldn't prevent a massive smile from forming on his face.

EDI's avatar popped up, "congratulations Jonathan. You have successfully created a new element."

"Well, let's not celebrate just yet," John shot back. He took the small disc over to a prototype ARC generator that he and Miranda had been designing for the past few weeks. He slotted the newly created element into the centre of the circle, and took a step back as the casing closed over it.

Suddenly the generator began to glow, which spread around the entire ring until the device was radiating a wonderful blue light.

Miranda quickly brought up to her omni- tool to analyse the new device, her gobsmacked expression only increased as she saw the readings, "the amount of energy this thing is giving off…. It's incredible. Imagine all the designs we could power with this…. Imagine what upscale models could do for our ships…."

John gave a small chuckle as he turned to face them with a genuine smile on its face, "actually… I've got a few ideas I want to try."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters, Chronos Station.**

**Date: 16th May, 2181**

**Time: 1400 **

John was sat down at his workbench, installing something into the fingertips of some kind of metallic gauntlet, when Kaidan walked into the room.

"You're wanted to see me John," the biotic called out.

Shepard quickly put down his tools and spun towards his visitor, "yeah, I got something I think you're going to love," John quickly walked over to a nearby shelf, picked up one of the boxes and brought it to the ground. He opened the case and presented Kaidan with a gleaming katana like blade.

Kaidan looked at it quizzically, "is this one of the new monomolecular blades?" he asked as he gripped the hilt of the sword.

Shepard only smiled in response, "sort of, I know you've been practising with them and have shown to be really proficient, so I modified this one myself especially for you. Try activating your biotics."

Kaidan looked at John confused, before shrugging. Kaidan's hand began to glow blue, and his eyes widened in amazement, as his energy was absorbed into the hilt, travelled through several veins across the blade, and caused the very edge of the blade to glow blue as well.

Kaidan was completely stunned. Seeing his confusion, John decided to explain, "I designed the blade so that it could channel and store your biotic energy inside it. With this you can let out powerful biotic waves by swinging the sword. It's activated by a button on the hilt."

"I don't know what to say," Kaidan responded completely stunned.

"Well you could answer a question for me," Shepard asked sheepishly, his expression then turned more serious, "Kaidan… in the months we've gotten to know each other… All the training you've been helping me with…. are we friends?"

Kaidan looked down at the ground as silence passed between the two men, "at first I was only doing all of this because Sha'ira instructed me to," John looked down disappointed at that, Kaidan looked up again with a grin, "but after seeing everything you've done these last few months… I can definitely say… I would like to be friends," Kaidan said sticking his hand out.

John smiled in response as he shook Kaidan's hand.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters, Chronos Station.**

**Date: 20th May, 2181**

**Time: 1800 **

John stood still, in front of him several LOKI mechs activated and began to raise their pistols.

Red energy began to surge around Shepard's forearms, mirrored by the red glow his irises began to give off. Then two energy blades formed on his arms, both glowing red.

As the LOKI mechs began to take aim, John leapt forward, too fast for their optics to register. As he landed, he swung his right blade outward, bisecting a mech on his right, a swing from his left arm decapitated another. He performed a downwards diagonal slash with his right arm, carving through a mechs chest, then plunged his left hand forward, stabbing through the head of the forth mech. With another swing of his left arm, he destroyed another mech.

Shepard's eyes turned towards the mech directly in front of him, while another of the machines took position behind him and aimed its pistol at the back of his head. Reacting quickly, John crouched down and did a 360-degree spin, slicing through both of them at the waist. Just as Shepard was about to make himself ready for the next opponent, he heard the sound of servos behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see that one of the mech's was still functioning, even without its legs, and was attempting to crawl towards him. He put an end to that by kerb stomping its' head into the ground.

Shepard deactivated the blade on his right hand and punched the nearest mech, caving in its chest plate and sending it to the ground twitching. He re-activated his blade again and sliced through another mech coming from his right. He threw both of his arms forward, plunging his blade into two other mechs, reducing them to scrap.

Three mechs opened fire on the human, but their shots were simply absorbed by a red barrier. John ran forward and swung his arms outward in an X motion, slicing through all three of them. Only one of the machines remained. Shepard pulled back his right arm and deactivate the blade on his left, suddenly the blade on his right arm began to change shape, and energy shifted into the form of a massive five clawed hand, swinging forward, he shredded the last mech into pieces.

John took a moment to look around at the scrap, that was all that remained of the combat mechs, "not bad," he said, praising himself.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cerberus Flotilla Headquarters, Chronos Station.**

**Date: 30th May, 2181**

**Time: 1200 **

Miranda stepped into the workshop, and immediately looked around with a confused expression on her face, realising that almost all the lights and been turned off. Her attention was drawn to strange noises coming from the far side.

_Shepard's been down here for several days straight… What the devil has he been working on?_

Through the darkness she could make out the shape of several robotic arms moving around a figure, that she assumed was Shepard, although she could barely see him, obscured by shadows.

"Shepard?" She called out to him.

The arms began to move away, clearly finished with their task. The clank of metallic boots against the ground echoed across the room, as the figure turned around to face Miranda. Her eyes widened in shock and the tablet she was holding smashed against the ground as it fell from her grasp.

* * *

**000**

* * *

the Illusive man sat in his chair looking out at the view of the star that the massive wall window in his office provided him.

He took a long drag from his cigarette, "so you've finished," he asked.

Behind him, hidden in the shadows, a pair of red glowing eyes looked at him.

"**Yes**," came a menacing voice, altered to sound more machinelike, "**I believe I have also gained clarity on what the next step of the mission should be.**"

The Illusive man lifted his head in curiosity slightly, "and what would that be?" He asked his mysterious visitor.

"**The people of this galaxy will need a dramatic example to shake them out of apathy. I cannot do that as Jonathan Shepard. I cannot do that as a mere human. As a human I can be ignored and destroyed. If I have an identity, I can be targeted…. and so can those close to me. Nobody can know who I am. You, Kaidan, EDI and Miranda are the only ones who will know. But for this monumental task I will have to become a symbol. As a symbol I will be incorruptible, indestructible, everlasting.**"

"I see the logic behind such a course of action, but when you meet the admirals in a moment, they are not going to be happy that they do not know who you are. They are suspicious enough of the secrets I keep," the older man responded.

"**The new weaponry and technology I offer will hopefully be enough to placate them. Regarding that, you should focus all your resources into increasing the production of the new weapons and the new ships. No more wasting good men on suicide bombings.**"

"The bombings while crude, are central to reminding the galaxy that Cerberus is still active. Without them people will begin to believe that we have lost our will to fight."

"**Let them believe that. Let them believe we are beaten. Let them gain a false sense of security. When our forces are amassed, we will strike at them with such power, that they will wonder why they ever thought of us as weak. And I believe the admirals will agree with me on that front.**"

A small frown formed on the older man's face, "is there anything else you wish to tell me about?"

"**Yes, have you reviewed my newest ship design,**"

"I will admit it is truly a testament to your intellect. Construction has already begun,"

"**Excellent. In addition, if this is to work most effectively, I am going to need to establish the identity of Jonathan Shepard as well. I will need your connections within the Alliance to manage this.**"

"Very well, for now what are you going to do?"

The figure of Shepard turned away, "**something long overdue."**

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Shepard Farmstead, Mindoir.**

**Date: 31st May, 2181**

**Time: 1300 **

John slowly made his way along a dirt path. When he had arrived at the spaceport, it had been encouraging to see that a large amount of the colony had successfully been rebuilt and that life seemed to have returned to normal.

However, that mood quickly darkened, as he saw how many buildings had very makeshift repairs, obviously from the lack of resources available. He had even witnessed several buildings that still remained the bombed-out hovels that they had been reduced to in the slaver attack. He seethed with rage as he saw, several families squatting in the wreckage or even on the streets.

As he walked along the path to his family's farm, he walked by several other farms. Farms that had been abandoned as there was nobody to maintain them anymore, the inhabitants likely serving as a slave to some xeno on the other side of the galaxy, or buried in the very ground they once tended. He had known some of the people who had lived in those farms, he had called them friends.

As he walked over the hill, he finally saw it.

He stood there frozen, his breath caught in his throat, tears of happiness beginning to form in his eyes as he saw his home.

After so long. After enduring so much. He was finally home.

He saw two figures tending the fields, in front of his house. They both turned to look at him, their eyes widened and they dropped the farming tools they were carrying. It felt like an eternity past before they suddenly started running towards him. John couldn't control himself any more. He ran towards them, almost failing to suppress his inhuman speed.

The three of them met, John embraced his brother Hector, and his sister Jenny. Tears streaming down both of their faces as they grasped him with all of their strength, fearing he would be torn away from them in a second time.

* * *

**000**

* * *

John sat on the couch in the living room, Hector and Jenny finally pried themselves away from their older brother, but merely so their younger siblings could have a chance to embrace the brother they hadn't seen in almost a year.

Arthur and Molly Shepard were currently clinging to either side of John like a pair of koalas, crying their eyes out. John had an arm cradled around each of his siblings, trying to make up for the months he had been gone for them.

Three pairs of rapid footsteps came towards them, and the last three members of the Shepard family entered. Hannah Shepard's eyes immediately began to tear up, she brought her hands up to her mouth, unable to express how she felt with words. Abigail Shepard immediately ran forward, John quickly squeezed himself out of the embrace of the other two of his siblings, and engulfed her much smaller form in a massive embrace.

"I missed you, I missed you so much big brother," the thirteen-year-old said between her tears.

"I missed you to Abbey, I missed all of you," he confessed.

Shepard looked over his youngest sister's shoulder, and saw his father James Shepard. John was slightly concerned at his father's expression, he could tell that he was happy to see his son alive, but it was obvious there was some underlying concerns that he wanted to address.

John stood up again and walk towards father, whatever concerns his father currently had he still pulled his long-lost son into an embrace, "I am happy beyond words to see you alive Jonathan," John quickly returned the embrace, "I'm so happy to see all of you again as well."

The Shepard patriarch turned to his wife, "Hannah can you please take the rest of them outside I need to speak to Jonathan in privates," he said.

Hannah's expression turned grim, but she nodded and quickly escorted the other Shepard children out of the house.

James turned his attention back to his eldest son. John inwardly groaned at the look his father was giving him. He knew that look.

It was disappointment.

_Of course he's disappointed…. there's no way he hasn't found out about what happened… I threw away everything he taught me,_ Shepard voiced in his head.

James took a deep breath, "I won't beat around the bush Jonathan. Your recent actions have me and your mother very concerned. No contact with you for months. Then we get a message from Elizabeth about what you've been doing."

John looked down at the ground in shame, "dad, I'm not gonna pretend that I'm the same person you raised. After everything I've seen, I'm not sure I can ever be that person again," John said regretfully.

John looked his father in the eye, "and that's why I'm afraid I can't stay here, I honestly can say that I'm a good person at the moment. I want to earn the forgiveness of everyone I've hurt, especially Liz. So I'm enlisting in the Alliance."

His father's eyes widened in shock, "you're planning to enlist?" The older Shepard frowned, "That is out of the question John. Elizabeth told me about what happened to you, you started fighting for a good purpose originally, but you became addicted to the violence, to that warped idea of gaining revenge on them…. And even after you finally realised what you had become, when you've finally come back home, when you can put all the horrible things you did behind you….. You're telling me you want to fight again," The man's volume increased as he spoke.

"It's not just about what I did dad," John replied, matching his father in volume, "all the horrible things I saw done to humans while I was on the Citadel. They didn't deserve any of it. I can't just stand by anymore. I needed to do something to stop this."

James only became more agitated by his son's answer, "so your saying you want to go and fight slavers. Do you think that that sounds noble? Did you think killing those gladiators was a heroic act John? Is this how you plan to make up for what you've done?" The man was yelling now.

_**This old fool…. He would demand that you follow his path…. That we obey him….. Slice this useless old man's throat and be done with it, **_Shepard internally shuddered at what the voice and asked him to do.

"I know you and mom taught me that I should always try and find alternatives to fighting, but do you understand what it's really like out there? Thousands of families are torn apart every day. Thousands of innocent humans die in Turian weapon factories or worse. We can try every other option, but in the end, strength is the only thing they respond to. You told me that if I had the strength to spare I should use it to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. And as horrible as the things I did in the pit were, they taught me something. They taught me that I have a lot of strength, so I'm gonna use it to save as many people from slavery as I can," John yelled back.

James clenched his fists, "your sister…. She went behind both your mother's and my back to join this foolish 're-forged sword' program. By the time we had found out we couldn't do anything to stop her. I didn't want any of you to join the military. I didn't want any of you to experience what that kind of life did to you. I didn't want you to become heartless killers," he said slowly, he looked back at his son, "I may have already lost Elizabeth to this, I will not lose you, not after we just got you back. You will not enlist in the Alliance. I FORBID IT!" he shouted.

John clenched his teeth at that remark, "you forbid me?" he whispered, "YOU FORBID ME?" he yelled, "I have spent months, where everybody forbid me from doing things. I'm forbidden to look them in the eye. I forbidden from entering the same room as my master. As soon as I got my freedom, I decided nobody else would decide my fate, that includes you father," he got right up into his dad's face, "and are you really trying to take a moral high ground with this? I learned about what you really did on Torfan."

His father's eyes immediately widened and he backed away slowly, but John continued, "all those Batarian casualties you were responsible for…. How many of them were actually soldiers?" He asked rhetorically, his father was trembling now, "yeah I know the truth. You killed hundreds of Batarian slaves, women, children, people who are just as much victims of the Hegemony as I was. But the Alliance swept all that info under the rug and paraded it around as your great victory."

"Tell me dad, is that why you really came to Mindoir? To try and hide away from what you did?" John asked, rhetorically.

His father was still trembling as he looked down at his feet, "The reason…. the reason I didn't want any of you to enlist…..was because…. was because I didn't want you to become like me," James whispered.

John turned away from his father, "whatever your reasoning for not wanting us to be in the military is irrelevant now. I am going to enlist in the Alliance, but if you are going to use your influence to prevent me from doing so, then let me tell you this. I found out about other ways to fight, after all 'hell always needs guard dogs' right,"

His father's breath caught in his throat, quickly realising what he was talking about. James looked back down at the ground with a resigned expression on his face. With his back still turned John said, "I'm glad we understand each other dad. I won't make the same mistakes as I did before, I'll make sure to keep in contact with the family. Goodbye." With that he walked out the door.

James Shepard was still staring at the ground so that he barely noticed someone else approach him. He lifted his head and saw his wife Hannah. The woman had tears streaming down her face. She held her head in her hands and fell to her knees. James quickly kneeled down and wrapped his arms around her.

"We failed him James…We failed to prevent him going down this path, just like she said we would fail," she sobbed.

"We tried our best love, we tried everything we could," James responded, struggling to hold his own composure.

"So, it's coming true isn't? Everything she said will happen, is going to happen now, isn't it? My boy. My precious boy. I can't bear the thought of him becoming that." The woman said as she completely broke down.

"We can only heed advice now Hannah. All we can do is hope."


	23. Chapter 23: Lion's Roar Part 1

A/N: _Italics _indicate internal thought.

**Bold **indicates Shepard Reaper speech

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also if anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Lion's Roar part 1**

* * *

**Location: Illyria, Elysium**

**Date: 2nd June, 2183**

**Time: 1200 CST**

It had been two years. Two years since Shepard had joined the Alliance auxiliaries.

It hadn't been an easy time by any means. Despite both of his parents being famous officers, John had opted to turn down the offer for officer training and joined as an enlisted soldier. While his family was initially shocked by this decision, his father yelling about him limiting his potential, but Shepard had reminded his dad that he had started at the bottom and worked his way up on his own merit, and stated that he sought to do the same.

While this was partially true, there was another reason for this. During his months with Cerberus, he had thoroughly studied the control that the Turian Hierarchy had over the Alliance. They observed all the Alliance's potential up-and-coming officers, to the point where Turian officials were present at all Alliance officer academies.

The Hierarchy 'claimed' this was so they could impart their centuries of experience in warfare to humanity, and help their military become stronger. However, the truth was these aliens were there to survey the ranks of the human military hopefuls for individuals that they believed would become problematic to the Hierarchy. These individuals would inevitably suffer accidents or acts of sabotage, leading to them being expelled… or killed. In addition, the trespassing Turians would work to increase the standing of their human puppets, thus tightening their stranglehold over humanity.

John knew that if he had gone straight into officer training, he would have inevitably caught the attention of those despicable individuals. As an enlisted soldier, he would be free from much of that scrutiny. Unfortunately, while the amount of influence the Hierarchy had over the Alliance officer training was much greater than basic training, it was still quite considerable. Something he learned during his time at Boot Camp.

His time at Boot Camp had been quite memorable. Despite doing everything he could to suppress his superhuman abilities, he practically broke every record there was. On the gun range, no matter the distance, he almost always made a bull's-eye with such ease, that it might as well have been a few inches away from the barrel of his gun. He managed to beat every speed record from the obstacle course to gun dismantling. In sparring matches, he made even the most experienced fighters look like rookies. John knew that there had been several people who had tried to find the secret behind his performance, but with the assistance of several Cerberus connections, he was able to ensure his powers remained undiscovered. Despite his obvious skills, he gained the respect of many of his peers, due to his refusal to act like anyone else probably would in his position. He never bragged, he never gloated, and he never acted superior to anyone. After all, he had been on the other side of that kind of behaviour.

However, although he was respected, he was quite isolated. To the other cadets he had come over as brooding and unapproachable, this in conjunction with his unbeatable prowess and well-known family name had resulted in many of the cadets being intimidated by him. John hadn't been that bothered by this and he might have gone through Boot Camp without making any friends if not for his fellow enlistee Kaidan, practically dragging him around to introduce him to some of the other cadets.

When John announced to him and Miranda that he was going to join the Alliance to establish a cover identity, Kaidan immediately decided to go with him to look out for his friend. During training he was second only to Shepard, but he had made it his mission to try and get the secret superhuman to interact with other people and not get consumed by his mission. He was also there to make sure John didn't lash out at the most detestable part of Boot Camp.

Whenever they were out doing drills or training, next to their drill sergeant was always a Turian. And the hinge heads did more to insult the trainees than the drill sergeant ever did. They would constantly make remarks like 'Turian cadets would have completed that course way faster' or 'Turians can shoot better than that in preschool,' it never failed to grate on John's nerves. They degraded him, not knowing that he could crush their heads in his hands like it was a stress ball.

It was in large part thanks to Kaidan's efforts that the two of them completed basic training without incident.

However, once they became actual soldiers, John gained a clearer picture of how bad things were.

They would receive distress calls from colonies, but could not respond without authorisation from their Hierarchy 'envoys.' They would claim they were verifying the threat to these colonies and delay the Alliance response. John didn't give much thought as to why they did this, but he knew the result. When they finally reached the colony, sometimes days after the distress call had been sent, they were far too late. All they could do was help clear the damage… and console survivors. In a few cases there were so few people left that they couldn't call the planet a colony anymore, and they had to move the people to another location.

Over the last two years Shepard had been sure to keep track of every attack done by slavers on human territory. And every new attack he heard about, every devastated colony he saw, every crying person he witnessed, only served to increase his impatience to end the suffering.

_There will come a day when we will make them pay for every injustice they have made us suffer….and that day is coming soon._

He had recently been promoted to Corporal and now he and his unit were currently assigned to Elysium. He smiled as he sat down in a chair in the barracks. No matter his mood at the overall state of the galaxy, he couldn't help but feel happy right now, he had always wanted to visit this colony ever since he had learned about what his mother did here. How the 'Lion of Elysium' had rallied a defence of this colony, and driven back the invading Batarian and Turian forces, despite overwhelming odds.

John was brought out of his reverie by a message on his omni-tool. He smiled as he looked at it, not because of what it contained but what merely receiving it represented.

It was a message from Cerberus.

* * *

**000**

* * *

_(flash back)_

"_A ghost bandwidth?" John asked Miranda. The two stood around a holographic design in a Cerberus R&D lab._

"_It's how Cerberus has been able to make contact with its people in the Alliance… Sparingly," Miranda explained._

"_As you know, we can't send messages within the normal bandwidth without the Council intercepting them. However, we discovered that the tubes of FTL at mass relays are capable of carrying a greater range of frequencies than the standard Citadel bandwidth. So, the solution was to send messages within this 'ghost' bandwidth. Thus, we created our own com buoys capable of sending messages at these frequencies._

_John looked at the schematic. He frowned slightly, "the energy required for that… You wouldn't be able to prevent the buoys from being discovered"._

"_You are correct," Miranda responded, "with the energy required for them to function, creating even one of these com buoys require a huge amount of our resources. And with the risk of the Council intercepting them, we could only send messages that were of the utmost importance."_

_She turned to Shepard with a small smile on her face, "But with the new ARC reactors, the buoys will have the energy required to both carry out their main purpose and we can also incorporate the new stealth technology into them. We will be able to communicate with our allies in the Alliance completely undetected," she said as she gestured proudly towards the holographic image of the buoy, projected from the table._

_John leaned forwards, getting a closer look at the holographic design. After a tentative pause, "communication isn't enough," he responded with a frown, "we need to build something that can tell us when enemies are coming. We need probes."_

_Miranda looked at him surprised, before gaining a thoughtful expression and resting her hand under her chin, "incorporating the function of a long-range probe? I'd never considered that…."_

_She was cut off as the hologram of EDI appeared, "I apologise for disturbing you," The AI stated, "Shepard I have completed the viral hacking algorithm you requested."_

"_Thanks EDI," Shepard responded in gratitude, before the holographic avatar vanished again._

_Miranda turned to him, "algorithm?" She asked._

"_One of the Illusive man's ideas," he said, "It's not directly dangerous, so cyber warfare programs won't see it as a threat. Essentially it will allow us to hijack any video display we broadcast to. Vid screens, omni-tools, if it has a screen, we can control what shows up on it," he stated with a grin._

* * *

**000**

* * *

John couldn't help but give a small smile as he read the message. It was a status report, detailing progress of the new weapon training, and integration of the new technology into the ships.

He deleted the message immediately after he finished reading it.

Quickly looking around to make sure no one was looking, John pulled out a small rectangular device about the size of a USB. He pressed a button located on the centre and the small device projected a holographic screen and keypad. Pressing a few keys, Shepard brought up an image of several folders. The names ATLAS, FALCON, TITAN were visible on some of the files.

John had been spending practically, all his free time, secretly designing new technology or training.

Hearing someone approach, John quickly deactivated the device and looked back at his omni-tool.

"Loco, you still reading those planetary reports?" a voice called out.

"Seriously man you must have read all of those at least twice by now," another joined in.

Two men walked up to him, the first was an extremely muscular man with several tattoos visible on his neck and forearms. The second man had dark skin, black hair and a small beard. Kaidan stood behind the two newcomers.

"You know I always like to do something productive Vega," John told the first man.

The second man spoke up, "come on Shepard you need to get out more. Relax. Make some friends."

"I made friends with the two of you," Shepard responded. His face then split into a grin, "I still regret the consequences of that."

All four of them burst out laughing. Shepard sighed as they calmed down, he hadn't had the best of luck making friends at boot camp. However, there were two that weren't intimidated by him. He'd been reluctant to form connections at first, believing it would cause complications further down the line, but Kaidan had kept hounding him and now he could say he was happy to call James Vega and Jacob Taylor his friends.

"Seriously though Loco, don't you ever think about going down to a bar and finding a nice girl," James asked, elbowing Shepard slightly.

John looked down at that, "that's kind of a personal thing James," he responded.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Illyria, Elysium**

**Date: 3rd June, 2183**

**Time: 1000 CST**

The four of them were patrolling the streets of the city. There was nothing to indicate that today would be different from any other.

But Shepard couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

"What's the problem Shepard, you're looking extremely scowly today," Jacob remarked, jokingly.

"Just got a bad feeling that's all," John responded in a grim tone.

Shepard turned his gaze skyward, and his eyes immediately locked onto several strange shapes descending towards the colony. It only took a second for John to realise what those shapes were.

"That's strange, there's not supposed to be any ships coming in today," he remarked, his eyes narrowing.

As the ships got closer, Shepard's eyes widened. He recognised those ships. They were the same type that had appeared over Mindoir.

"Those are Batarian ships," he yelled.

Immediately after saying that, one of the approaching ships opened fire. Shepard turned around, but he already knew what they were aiming at. A volley of powerful shots impacted into the Alliance base near the centre of the City. Several massive explosions erupted as the base was annihilated. Immediately alarms began to blare throughout the streets. Seeing the most immediate threat destroyed, the ships began to open fire on the city, while dozens of shuttles emerged from the ships and descended to the ground, deploying dozens of slavers of all species onto the colony.

"Attention, all troops" The omni-tools of the four soldiers activated as a message was broadcasted, "priority is evacuating the civilians to the raid bunkers. We have taken up several defensive positions to prevent invaders from reaching them. All unit's head to the nearest location highlighted on your omni-tool and provide support,"

The four nodded at each other and immediately began running down the street, while dozens of people ran in the opposite direction.

After running for several minutes, the group finally reached the front line. The Alliance soldiers had set up a makeshift barricade across the road and were using it for cover. Occasionally, a soldier would lean over the barricade and open fire at the oncoming forces. Some distance down the street, a large number of attackers were taking cover behind their own make-shift barricades or side alleyways. The humans were doing everything they could to keep the enemy back, but they were slowly advancing through their sheer numbers.

The four newcomers crouched down behind the barricade. "What's our situation sir?" John asked the sergeant present, Hudson he believed his name was. "In one word. Fucked," the sergeant responded. "The bastards have landed a ship on the outskirts of the city, light cruiser class we think. The other ships are bombarding the colony, starting at the outskirts and moving inwards," the man continued.

John clenched his fist, "driving everyone into the city centre, so they can grab as many slaves as possible," he seethed through his teeth. He turned back to his superior, "what happened to our defences?" He asked.

The sergeant grunted in frustration before responding, "nobody knows. The AA guns aren't operating, neither are the orbital defence cannons. We can't get in contact with the operating station."

_An attack this large…. And the automated defences aren't working…. This is much more than a simple slave raid_. He went over the scenario in his head.

"Who's in charge of the moment sir?" Jacob asked.

Hudson just shook his head, "no clue. Captain Tyson is presumed dead when the first salvo hit headquarters. No one can get in contact with lieutenant Sartor," he explained.

"So what we do sir?" one of the other soldiers asked.

Hudson gained a serious expression, "we are gonna drive this slaver scum back and off our planet. We didn't let Elysium fall before and we won't let it-krch," the sergeant was cut off as a round travel through his neck.

"Medic!" Shepard roared, catching Hudson before he hit the ground. The invaders used this as an opportunity to advance again and began moving forward. Acting quickly John positioned himself on the barricade and opened fire, his three friends and the other soldiers quickly joining him.

John quickly gunned down two Batarians and a Turian. But he didn't stop to acknowledge it, he readjusted his aim and fired at more enemies. His movements were rapid, he quickly found a new target before the previous one had even hit the ground. By the time the attackers had found cover again, he was certain he'd already killed at least twenty-five. As he ducked back under the barrier, he quickly noticed that the rest of them were staring at him dumbfounded.

"Damn Loco. That was crazy," James said, stunned.

"Never mind that now Vega," John responded before turning towards the medic, who was kneeling over the prone body of the sergent. "How's he doing?" he asked, "I've stabilised him, but he's lost a lot of blood. Guess that means you're in charge corporal," the medic replied.

Shepard paused for a second as he processed that. Shaking his head, he looked around and analysed the situation.

_We've already lost too many men to the hold this line effectively for much longer. Why are we even setting up the defence here?_ he wondered.

"All right," he called out getting everyone's attention, "we're going to fallback two blocks, the roads there have enough space that we'll be able to position MAKO's and maybe anti-infantry guns,"

Two soldiers carried the unconscious sergeant as everyone began to slowly move backwards down the street. Keeping their weapons facing towards the enemy. That's when they noticed that Shepard had retained his position kneeling behind the barricade.

"Shepard what you doing? You said we're falling back," Kaidan said. John looked at him, a serious expression on his face, "someone needs to slow them down, to try and stop them here. You guys go ahead," all of them are completely shocked by that remark.

"Shepard you're crazy, you'll be facing an army by yourself" Jacob practically yelled at him.

"That's an order," John responded. After a second, he turned back to look at them, "if you got any thermal clips and grenades you can spare, I'd appreciate it."

The soldiers quickly dropped a bunch of items he asked for on the ground, John simply nodded his head in thanks. While Kaidan handed him some grenades he whispered, "you sure about this Shepard?"

"Yeah. Just remember to come back when you've setup a new defence," Kaidan nodded and joined the other Marines as they fell back.

With his comrade's gone, Shepard turned his attention back towards the invading forces.

_My mother went through hell to prevent this place from falling…. she lost a lot of friends…. I won't let what she did be for nothing._

A group of four Batarians began charging down the street, John waited for all four of them to get into the open before creating a biotic barrier around himself, he stood up and opened fire on them. They were so shocked by the fact that a human had stayed behind, that by the time they decided to return fire, two had already had their shields overwhelmed and were gunned down.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shepard noticed two more attackers poking out from an alleyway on the right, preparing to open fire on his now exposed form. Without even looking, John primed one of his grenades and threw it. It landed at the feet of the two and detonated, engulfing them in a fireball. Shepard hadn't even stopped firing on the remaining two Batarians in front of him while doing it, his biotic barrier easily absorbing the rounds that hit him, he quickly killed both of them with another burst.

Taking a breath, he ducked back behind the barrier, but kept an eye out in case any others decided to advance. He saw multiple groups of attackers slowly moving towards him.

_Come on you bastards….. a Shepard drove you off this planet before…. And today histories going to repeat itself._

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Illyria, Elysium**

**Time: 1700 CST**

John rested his back against the barricade. Seven hours. He had been holding this position for seven hours.

The street was littered with the corpses of various races. Batarian, Turian, Krogan and even Asari. He'd maintained his ammunition supply by letting several of the attackers get close enough to touch the barricade, then looting any ammunition from their carcasses.

Hearing footsteps he peered over the makeshift fortification, he was met by the sight of two Krogan…..and one was aiming a rocket launcher at him.

The barrier exploded, sending him flying forward and crashing onto his front.

He lay there unmoving.

Noticing the lack of movement, the two Krogan walked forward until they were standing over the prone form of the human.

"Hah, finally got the bastard," one of them chuckled, "Little squirt was way more trouble than he should have been."

"Let's see if he's got any credits," the other said.

Suddenly the 'dead' human shot up. Coating his left fist in blue energy, he punched one of them in the throat, causing them to hack and keel over. He then jammed his assault rifle in the Krogan's already open mouth, while at the same time pulling out a pistol, and jamming it into the eye of the other one. He opened fire with both weapons. Both large reptiles crashed to the ground.

Shepard turned around, putting his weapons away, and sighed at the site of the barrier, now sporting a large hole from the rocket.

_I'm not going be able to hold them back here any longer….. Those guys must have set up the defences by now._

He suddenly froze, as he heard the almost inaudible sound of rubble being disturbed to his left. From the corner of his eye he saw the air shimmering.

Reacting in less than a second, the human launched a biotic throw. The blue energy impacted something invisible, causing the air to shimmer even more. Before a figure suddenly became visible. It was a Turian wearing black armour, who was promptly launched backwards as the biotic energy hit him.

However, in an impressive display of gymnastics, he flipped over in mid-air and landed back on his feet. Shepard's eyes were fixed on the infiltrator, but they were quickly drawn away as four other Turians, wearing the same armour, appeared surrounding him.

_Tactical cloaks… And that armour…. These aren't two-bit pirates…. These guys are Black Talon….A hierarchy black ops unit specialising in infiltration and maximum destruction. This is a lot more than a simple attack_.

John had read about these guys in the Cerberus files. He knew he was going to have to be careful.

As the five newcomers raised their assault rifles, John quickly created a biotic barrier, practically a second before they opened fire. The barrier was effectively able to protect John, but he knew he had a larger problem.

_If these guys are Hierarchy agents, then I can't show off my abilities too much…. I could attract attention if they got word back to their superiors._

John slammed his fist into the ground, sending a biotic shockwave in a 360-degree explosion . John deliberately made it less powerful and as a result it merely caused the Turians to stumble back slightly. But that was all the time Shepard needed to activate a biotic charge. He slammed into one of the Talons, smashing them against the nearby wall, his right hand gripped around the Turian's throat.

His opponent, having dropped his assault rifle, pulled out his pistol and started to aim at Shepard's head. The human quickly reacted by using his left hand to knock the pistol from the Turian's grasp. Without missing a beat, the Turian punched John with his left hand. Letting his head sift to the side in reaction to the blow, John used a biotic warp to kill the Turian.

His instincts kicked in and he rolled to his right, avoiding a burst of fire from the others, who had recovered. Landing on his knees, John pulled out his assault rifle and returned fire. In response, the black ops skillfully dived behind nearby cover. Seeing one of them to his left, John ran at him. Seeing the human approaching, the Turian raised his weapon, but John was too fast and quickly knock it out of his hands with a reverse roundhouse kick. He then tried to deliver a punch to the Turian's face, but it was quickly parried. John launched another punch, and although the Turian's arm impacted with the humans, he was unprepared for the human's considerable strength and was stunned as the fist, collided with the left side of his helmet. Seeing the other three begin to take aim at him, Shepard grabbed his stunned enemy and position him in front of him as a shield.

The other Turians didn't hesitate as they opened fire, filling their comrade with slugs. Shepard quickly threw the now deceased Turian away from him and dove back behind cover, readying his assault rifle.

Almost immediately, the small piece of barrier John was sheltering behind was peppered by high velocity slugs. John tried to peek around to get an idea of where his enemies were, but immediately had to duck down as another shot passed near his eye.

_Dammit they're concentrating their fire to keep me pinned down. The three of them…. Wait a second.._

Johns strained his ears and realise something; he was only picking up two bursts of gunfire. So where the hell was the third guy?

Shepard maintained his position facing towards the two Turians firing at him but kept glancing at his flanks out of the corner of his eyes'. And sure enough he saw the familiar sight of distortion. The third Turian was trying to sneak up on him. John kept facing forward as his would-be assassin stealthily approached him from his right.

The cloaked Turian raised his rifle at the human's head. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, John threw himself backwards, and fired a burst, point blank into the Turian's chest.

Shepard quickly hurried back to his original position and looked at the two remaining soldiers, they seem to have realised their comrade had failed, as evident when one of them primed a grenade. Seeing this, John aimed his rifle and using his impressive marksmanship skills, was able to hit the Turian's hand as he drew it back to throw the grenade and temporarily exposed it from his cover.

The Turian's shields flashed for a second, before a streak of blue blood came out of his wrist, courtesy of a new hole. The pain caused the Turian to drop the grenade at his feet, he looked at it for a second, frozen, before it detonated, engulfing him in an explosion.

The explosion sent the final Turian flying, and he crash landed on his front. The injured invader slowly pushed himself up to his knees, before a shadow loomed over him. He quickly turned around, and barely had time to scream as Shepard drove a knife through his visor.

As John stood up, retrieving his weapons, he heard voices calling out to him and saw Jacob, Kaidan and James running towards him.

They slowed to a walk as they looked at the massive number of casualties Shepard had been responsible for, "Madre de Dios Loco, you sure you're not some kind of Diablo?" James asked rhetorically.

"Everyone else thought we were crazy to believe that you were still alive. Ha ha. they owe us so many drinks," Jacob chuckled.

Kaidan's attention was drawn to the Black Talons like John he had also read the Cerberus files about these operatives, "these don't look like ordinary slavers Shepard," he remarked. "They didn't fight like common mercs either," John responded, "there is a lot more to this invasion."

"Well this invasion isn't gonna last much longer," James said, "we got a defensive perimeter set up further back, and we got word that reinforcements are enroute to the planet."

John turned his gaze back to the orbital defence canon in the distance, the building that was the operating station would be located near it. His eyes narrowed as he came to a realisation.

"Why haven't they taken it out yet?" He asked out loud.

"What do you mean Shepard?" Kaidan asked.

"The orbital defences. Usually when slavers land on a planet they destroy them so they can't be used against them. They haven't done that here," John explained, pointing towards the massive canon.

"Something tells me you got an idea why they haven't Loco," James said.

"Yeah, if they found a way to disable our automated defences, then maybe they found way to operate them to."

The other three humans froze at that theory, "son of a bitch. They're going to fire on the Alliance ships when they arrive," Jacob yelled.

"We have to get to the operating station and restart the defences before the fleet arrives," John said with a great deal of finality.

The other three looked at each other apprehensively for a second, before saying determinedly, "all right, let's get going Shepard."

John couldn't stop himself from smiling at them.

* * *

**AN: **sorry this chapter took so long, I tried to Elysium in one chapter but it became too long, will upload the second part in a couple of days.


	24. Chapter 24: Lion's Roar Part 2

A/N: _Italics _indicate internal thought.

**Bold **indicates Shepard Reaper speech

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also if anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Lion's Roar part 2**

* * *

**Location: Illyria, Elysium**

**Date: 2nd June, 2183**

**Time: 1740 CST**

The four of them were jogging down the road. While travelling they encountered small groups of slavers but were easily able to dispatch them.

Eventually the quartet found themselves in front of a massive plaza, and quickly hid.

The Plaza was completely packed with invading forces, there were hundreds of slavers.

"You got a plan Shepard?" Jacob asked quietly.

John eyes scanned over the Plaza, he gritted his teeth as he recognised the location, "those bastards! This is Victory Plaza. This is where my mother held off the invaders during the war," as he seethed, John's eyes locked onto an open-back vehicle equipped with an anti-infantry gun.

"All right I'll make my way to one of the heavy weapons near the back. When they turn around, you open fire." John stated, "got it Shepard" Kaidan responded nonchalantly while pulling out a sniper rifle.

John carefully made his way around to the back of the Plaza by sneaking through the abandoned buildings of the colony, whether the inhabitants had fled in terror or been torn from their homes, he didn't really want to know.

Nearing the anti-infantry gun, Shepard identified the person, who was most likely the leader of this group. His teeth almost cracked as he gritted them in anger at the sight of a human leading these invaders.

"What the hell is the hold-up? This was supposed to be the weak point in their defences. Why the hell aren't we advancing?" the man yelled to one of his subordinates.

"I don't know what to tell you Haliat. Reports show that we injured the highest-ranking guy and they were pulling back…. But some stayed behind. Every guy we sent down there is dead. Even those Black Talon guys."

Haliat massaged his brow in frustration, "elite operatives my arse," he mumbled, "how many defenders stayed behind?" He asked.

The Turian looked away uncomfortably, "one," he muttered.

The human's eyes widened, "ONE?!" He yelled, "all the troops we sent… And they were killed by one person."

John couldn't help but grin at the pirate's frustration.

John had made it behind the vehicle with the anti-infantry gun without being detected. He drew his combat knife.

Shepard snuck directly behind the Batarian manning the weapon, out of instinct the four eyed alien turned around. Just in time for John to swing his knife and slashing the squint's throat. The Turian in the driver's seat of the vehicle quickly looked behind him at the noise, but Shepard had already fired at him. Slugs tore through his body and after a few seconds the mass of flesh was barely identifiable.

Hearing the gunfire, all the slavers in the Plaza turned towards him. Shepard re-aimed the heavy weapon and fired, roaring while he did so. The stream of high velocity slugs shot across the square. Dozens and dozens of aliens were cut down before they could even register what had happened. The head of a Batarian was reduced to a fine mist. A Turian was bisected. A Krogan's arm was severed, causing him to fall to the ground screaming in pain despite his redundant nervous system. All across the plaza, bodies fell in droves.

Seeing the distraction his friend was causing, Kaidan aimed down the scope and fired. Two Salarians fell to the ground dead, the single shot having passed through the midsection of both amphibians.

Shepard continued to strafe the anti-infantry gun back and forth. More and more slavers were ruthlessly cut down. The chest of a Batarian exploded in a mass of blood and gore, next to him a Turian's head went flying as a shot severed it from his shoulders. The invaders were panicking now, desperately trying to find shelter from the storm of high velocity slugs raining on them. Tripping over the deceased and dismembered forms of their comrades, they screamed in terror.

It was at this point the other two humans attacked. James opened fire with his assault rifle on the slavers still facing towards Shepard, nailing two in the back. Jacob used his biotics to pull one of the slavers towards him. The Batarian landed on his back at Jacob's feet. The alien barely had time to register anything as a boot slam down his throat, killing him. Kaidan fired another shot, hitting a Turian straight through his eye.

James and Jacob slowly advanced, firing their assault rifles, eliminating several more slavers. All the while Shepard was still firing, continuing the bloodbath. By this point the aliens had realised they were being attacked from their rear, resulting in them returning fire at the two humans. Seeing several of the invaders take aim directly at him, James quickly jumped over a nearby crate, narrowly avoiding death has the rounds hit the other side. He grabbed a grenade and threw it over. It landed perfectly between the group firing on him, and after a second consumed them in an explosion.

Kaidan kept firing his sniper rifle, eliminating threats and providing cover for his friends. He grinned as he fired again tearing through the midsection of another Batarian. Jacob fired his rifle again killing a Turian, he then noticed an Asari making her way to James from behind. Jacob quickly started running towards his friend's position, gunning down two more enemies as he did. Just as the Asari was about to open fire on James, Jacob wrapped his arm around her throat and in one swift twist, broke her neck.

By some miracle the remaining slaver forces had been able to get some semblance of organisation and started opening fire on their attackers. But being fired upon from both directions still meant they were dropping like flies.

Salvation seemed to arrive for the invaders in the form of a small tank. John recognised it as a Hegemony armoured assault vehicle, he quickly adjusted his aim and opened fire on it, however he was not able to pierce the armoured chasse. The tank opened fire with its own machine-gun, causing Shepard to jump down from his position and take cover. As the tank began to move towards the other humans, more trouble appeared as a slaver shuttle slowly began to descend into the Plaza, ready to drop off reinforcements.

Just as the doors of the shuttle opened, John quickly jumped back onto the gun and opened fire. With no cover, the group of slavers inside the shuttle was shredded to pieces and the inside was painted with blood. The shots continued to rip through the insides of the shuttle, even killing the pilot and causing it to crash to the ground.

Not pausing for even a second, Shepard pivoted the weapon back towards the armoured vehicle and opened fire again, the high velocity slugs ricocheting off the armoured plates. Seeing that his friend needed help Vega looked around desperately, after a few moments his eyes landed on one of the slaver supply creates….. one full of ML-77 missile launchers. Hefting one onto his shoulder James aimed it at the small tank and yelled, "say hello to my little friend, penehos" and fired. The missile soared through the air and hit the underside of the vehicle. It was sent flying in a massive explosion and the burnt husk crashed back to the ground.

As the sound of the explosion faded Shepard finally realised that they had killed every slaver in the Plaza…. except one.

Elanos Haliat ran down an alleyway, panic etched on his face, he was desperate to escape, to survive. He turned the corner…. And gasped in pain. John Shepard stood there, his knife embedded in the slavers stomach, a cold expression on his face. John pulled his knife out as the pirate's body fell to the ground.

"Damn. Are we badass or what?" Jacob boasted, proud of their victory.

"We're not done yet," John stated, gesturing to the orbital defence cannon down the street.

* * *

**000**

* * *

The doors to the operating station opened and the four soldiers moved in, sweeping the room with their assault rifles. After checking there were no enemies, they lowered their weapons.

Kaidan checked one of the bodies of several Alliance marines in the room, "he was shot right through the back of the head," Kaidan said, "never saw it coming."

"Careful. There's still a MAKO parked out the front, someone could still be here," Shepard responded.

The four of them carefully made their way over to the console. Kaidan tried to activate it, but to no avail, "there's no power to the controls, we can't fix the defences like this," he explained.

"Let me have a look," Shepard responded and made his way behind the console. Taking off the back-panel, Shepard could immediately see what the problem was, the main cable had been slashed.

_Sabotage _he thought inwardly, cringing at the implications.

"Main power cable was slashed, I'll try and repair it," John said, as he started reattaching the two cables. "We still have a problem though, even if you reconnect the power it's gonna take a while to the power this up," Kaidan responded.

"I'll try to see if I can jumpstart it," John fired back. After quickly making sure that Jacob and James weren't watching he grabbed both ends of the cable. Red electricity surged around his hands, and the controls instantly lit up.

"Nice going Shepard," Kaidan praised as John made his way back round to the others.

Suddenly all four of them heard the 'click' of an assault rifle behind them, "that's quite enough," the four of them turned around to see a human wearing an alliance uniform pointing a M-8 Avenger at them.

"Wait…" Jacob said, taking a step forward, "Lieutenant Sartor?"

"So, I suppose you must be the group responsible for all the screaming coming from Victory Plaza a moment ago. I'm sorry to say but your little heroics end here," the Lieutenant said with an arrogant sneer.

"What the hell is happening here?" James asked, a scowl forming on his face.

"It's pretty obvious James," Shepard started, "the dead guards. Sabotaged equipment. No signs of resistance. Those are all signs of a traitor," Shepard stated. Although his outside demeanour was calm, he was barely containing his rage.

Sartor merely gave a smug grin in response. "You're a clever one Shepard. You know all of this is actually your mother's fault. Her victory on this planet all those years ago serves as a symbol of humans' strength. And there are many individuals in the galaxy who are willing to pay very handsomely to destroy that symbol," he continued as if he was boasting.

"You son of a bitch…. Do you know how many people have died today?!" James yelled.

"And I promise I shall bear the guilt of all the deaths I caused for the rest of my life," Sartor said, his voice lacking any true compassion. He turned back to John, "tell me Shepard did you really think you could come here and be the hero…. Be like your mother was…. This is what happens to heroes."

As he aimed his rifle at the four, Shepard surrounded himself in blue energy and launched himself at the traitor with a biotic charge. He slammed Sartor into the wall hard, he grunted slightly as a slug passed through his left side, the wound already healing. He quickly knocked the assault rifle from the man's hands and held him against the wall by the throat. He slammed his fist into the lieutenant's traitorous jaw, knocking a few teeth out.

Sartor looked up at him in panic, "all right, all right, I surrender please stop," he begged, barely able to get words out, as his mouth filled with blood.

_**He is begging for mercy?... We should teach him a lesson John…. teach him that traitors…. have no say.**_

"Traitors have no say," John said in a monotone voice. He quickly pulled out his pistol and without hesitation, blew the man's brains out.

"John did you really need to…." Kaidan tried to say but trailed off. "Bastard deserved a lot worse than that if you ask me Loco," James said, enthusiastically.

"Never mind that," John said, "get the defences back up and running," Kaidan quickly got to work typing on the console, "there, AA guns and the orbital defence cannons are back on line and already targeting enemy vessels," he reported.

A grin spread across Shepard's face, "let go watch the fireworks then."

The four of them quickly made their way outside the building. Already they could see enemy shuttles and gunships being blown out of the sky by the city's AA guns. The massive orbital defence cannon could be seen charging up. It then fired a massive shot at one of the slaver cruisers. The massive chunk of metal travelling at a fraction of the speed of light, smashed right through the ship as if it were a toy. The vessel exploded a second later.

"Ha Ha Ha," Jacob laughed, "now that's what I'm talking about."

"Just in time," Kaidan added, pointing up into the sky. Alliance warships could be seen breaking the atmosphere. The large vessels opened fire on the invading ships, reducing many of them to slag. Squadrons of Alliance fighters soared through the air, firing at other vessels and taking down enemy shuttles.

The three couldn't help but smile at this, but Shepard knew they weren't done yet, "guys there's one more thing we need to do," he said, pointing towards the Slaver light cruiser that had landed on the outskirts of the city.

He then looked at the nearby MAKO, an almost insane grin formed, "I'll drive."

* * *

**000**

* * *

Rovan Sakcakan paced around anxiously at the foot of the ship's ramp. The same slaver ship that had landed on the outskirts of Illyria. There were several groups of slavers standing around nearby. His fists clenched and un-clenched in frustration.

_This is not how all of this was supposed to go….. This was supposed to be my great victory….. acquiring an impressive number of new slaves for the Hegemony….. and erasing one of the greatest sources of pride for those fucking apes….. This was supposed to make my name go down in glory….. He assured me that this would be an easy victory, _he ranted internally.

Once the colony's defence systems had come back online, the tide had immediately turned. The bombarding warships were blown to pieces, the AA guns destroyed any air superiority they previously had. Slavers all over the planet were surrendering by the dozen. In addition, with the arrival of the Alliance fleet, they couldn't even get off the planet anymore.

_I can't die an a stinking mudhole like this….I am…._

Rovan was violently brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a massive explosion. He turned his head to see a dozen of his subordinates consumed in a large fireball. His shock only doubled when a MAKO came flying out of the inferno, it's jump jets propelling it through the air. The wheels of the tank were already revving before it had even landed, causing the vehicle to shoot forward at uncontrollable speed.

The Batarian was so shocked by this insane display of driving that he barely noticed the turret taking aim. At least not until it opened fired several times, demolishing several gun emplacements, and annihilating several groups of slavers.

The tank made a beeline for the ship, it suddenly twisted to the right, causing it to stop at the foot of the ramp after a massive skid.

Rovan's breath caught in his throat as he saw a human soldier jump out before the vehicle had even come to a complete stop. The human quickly raised his assault rifle and gunned down two nearby slavers, then charged towards the ramp like an enraged bull.

Rovan felt an overwhelming fear set in and quickly threw his hands up, "I surrender… I sur-," he didn't finish as a fist smashed into the side of his face, due to the human backhanding him, knocking him over, "get out of my way!" The human roared as he ran up the ramp and onto the ship.

From his new position on the ground the Batarian had a good view of the area in front of him. He could see dozens of MAKO tanks and KODIAK shuttles landing, depositing dozens of alliance soldiers who quickly went about subduing the remaining invaders.

He looked at the MAKO that had arrived first. There were three other humans around it. It looked like they were leaning against the vehicle to support their shaking legs, "we…. We are never riding with Loco again," one of them said, weakly.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Shepard quickly ran through the corridors of the ship, the target clear in his mind.

_I know there is a lot more to this invasion. I just need to find the proof._

A set of doors opened as he stepped into the CIC of the ship. Immediately he saw a Batarian crouched over one of the terminals. "Back away, slowly," John demanded, aiming his assault rifle. The Batarian looked up at him in shock. After a few seconds he tried to draw his own gun, but a high velocity slug to the head stopped that.

Walking over towards the terminal Shepard activated it.

_Let's see what you were trying to hide._

John saw that the Batarian had been trying to erase a vid log, so he decided to play it. His eyes narrowed in rage.

After downloading a copy of the Vid to his omni-tool he made his way back outside, a scowl firmly in place. He exited back at the ramp to see Kaidan, James and Jacob standing guard over a group of invaders. Kneeling down with their hands held behind the heads. The scene was the same across the fields outside the ship.

"You alright John?" Kaidan asked, "this is worse than I thought Kaidan," John responded.

"So, you are the one in charge of these uncivilised primates," an arrogant voice called out. Kaidan and Shepard both turned their heads to see that one of the Batarian prisoners had stood back up.

"I have already surrendered peacefully, yet your subordinates have continued to assault me as if I were still a combatant," he sneered.

Shepard couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that tone, _that accent…. No way this guy is just some Terminus thug…. Shit I know who he is._

"Maybe you'd like to tell us what the son of one of the Batarian Hegemony's highest-ranking officials is doing leading a slaver attack, Rovan Sakcakan?" John asked rhetorically.

The Batarian's eyes widened slightly in surprise, before a cruel smile spread across his face. "So, you know who I am, well then you must truly see the futility in all this," he said smugly.

James jammed his assault right in the man's four eyed face, "futility what squint?" he yelled, "you'll spend the rest of your sad life rotting in a cell."

Rovan actually gave a small laugh at that, "you really have no understanding of how this galaxy works, you ignorant Ape. When the Hierarchy arrives, you will be forced to surrender custody of all of us to them. All I have to do is make a call to my father and I will be released," he then let out a maniacal laugh, "hahahahahaha, I will never even see the inside of prison cell."

John just glared at the man, full of hate.

_**You know he speaks the truth….. You know how far the corruption of this galaxy runs…. You cannot entrust him to the justice of this pitiful system…. You know what you must do**_

Shepard let the words sink in before looking the Batarian in the eye, "you know what…. I believe you," he said in a cold tone. A second later drew his pistol and fired several shots into the slaver's chest. Rovan's eyes widened in horror, he began to cough up blood, then he collapsed, his body tumbling down the ramp.

Everyone looked at him completely stunned. He just looked down at the body with cold eyes.

"To all Alliance soldiers," Shepard spoke into his omni-tool, his voice broadcasted throughout the city, "this is Corporal Shepard, this isn't an order but please hear me out. This scum attacked this world. Killed many of our comrades, our friends. With the intent of tearing people from their homes and selling them like property," John's voice got more and more aggressive, "we have already secured victory, but now they think they can just surrender. So I would like to remind everyone of something….. They are not enemy soldiers from a legitimate government. This scum does not have any rights. They are not prisoners of war. They attacked Elysium to send a message. That we could never stand against them, that we are inferior to them."

All over the colony Alliance marines of all ranks tensed up in anger. Fingers tightening around weapons, but it seems Shepard wasn't finished yet.

"So, I say we send a message to all the Bastards out there who think that. We show them that if they come here looking for a weak opponent they can easily defeat. The only thing they will find…is DEATH!" John yelled the last word. All over the colony humans reciprocated his roar. The face of the prisoners were suddenly filled with fear.

Jacob and James looked at the kneeling prisoners with rage in their eyes. Having realised what Shepard was referring to they raised their guns and fired. Brutally gunning down the small group of slavers.

They weren't the only ones. The air was soon filled with the sound of gunfire and screams as all across the colony, Alliance marines gunned down the defeated invaders.

In a back alley, a dozen slavers were lined up against a wall. They didn't even have time to cry out as they were gunned down. In the nearby street two Turians ran desperately, but were shot from behind, soaking the streets in blood.

Kaidan only looked at the back of Shepard in shock as his friend looked out at the citywide mass execution. The cold expression still on his face.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Illyria, Elysium**

**Time: 2000 CST**

Shepard was standing in the city square, overlooking the relief effort for the inhabitants of the colony, injured soldiers and civilians alike being taken for medical treatment.

"Hey Shepard," hearing his friends voice, John turned towards him and saw Kaidan gesture behind him, looking past him Shepard saw three figures. Two were Turians, they were wearing red armour and had white face tattoos. The third figure was a human, he had dark skin, black hair in a buzz cut and was wearing an Alliance officer's uniform. The three of them were making their way towards him.

As the three stopped in front of him, John could immediately identify the first Turian as general Salvitus from the Cerberus files. "So, we heard that you are the soldier responsible for almost single-handedly stopping this invasion," Salvitus said with scrutiny. "A considerable feat. Although Turian forces would have been able to rout an invasion such as this hours ago," his tone changed to one of arrogance.

John gritted his teeth before smirking, "really? I'm afraid I'm tempted to question that claim considering how long it took for you Turian's to get here." Salvitus' became outraged, "you will show proper respect when speaking to a superior officer human," he said glaring daggers at Shepard. John met the Turian's glare with his own, "first thing, I'm not part of your 're-forged sword' programme, so you're not my superior officer. Second, maybe you should earn respect and get your asses here faster next time, Turian."

Salvitus looked like he was about to punch the human but the other Turian jumped in, hoping to diffuse the situation, "our utmost apologies, we had to ensure that the threat was genuine before we could mobilise ships," John turned his gaze to the other Turian, "of course, and also the Alliance couldn't mobilise without your permission, right?" he said scathingly. The Turian only looked away in response.

"Whatever the case," Salvitus said, "this invasion has been thwarted, the threat is now over."

"I'm afraid that's not true," John said seriously, "I'm afraid this was only the precursor for something much worse."

Salvitus gave a small laugh, "surely you're exaggerating. I will admit the force assembled to attack this world is was considerable. However, there is nothing to suggest that there is a larger force at play. This was just another slaver attack soldier." With a smug expression he said, "of course it would have been easier to obtain information on the current situation in the Terminus system if we had prisoners to interrogate. I'm not sure if you know this, but that tends to work best when they're alive."

Shepard's eyes narrowed, "I do have something to back up what I'm saying, but in regards to what I did. My justification is simple, I was sending a message."

Salvitus looked at him indifferently, "what kind of primitive message did you hope this mass execution would send?" he asked.

Shepard just smiled at him, mockingly., "That if they attacked, they would receive no mercy. That we would completely and utterly destroy them. That's the Hierarchies war philosophy, right? The Tiptree 'garrison' learned that," John said, putting heavy sarcasm into the word garrison.

Salvitus seethed at the impudent human before him. Seeing the rising hostility, the other Turian decided to step in again, "you said you had information?" he asked.

Shepard activated his omni-tool, "I pulled this from the ship's CIC computers," he said playing the video log he downloaded.

The image showed a large gathering of people, different species, all wearing armour. The Turian's eyes widened, he'd only recognised about half a dozen faces and it was already unsettling. The individuals he was seeing were some of the most ruthless and influential criminals of the Terminus systems. The vid continued, showing a figure obscured by shadows standing up to address the crowd of mass murderers and pirates. "Thank you all for coming here. I know it must not be easy to stand in a room with some of these people without trying to kill them," the crowd gave small menacing chuckles that, "I know the concept of working under someone must make most of you want to vomit, but I'm confident once you hear my proposal you will be willing to put your pride aside," the figure continued, "get to the point, what the hell is it you want us for?" Someone in the crowd shouted. "What I want is simple, I want to drive every trace of the filth known as humans out of the Traverse for good. All of you want to plunder colonies and acquire slaves. Under my leadership, we will both get what we want."

"You talk like it's not easy to raid some human world and just grab em," another of the crowd yelled.

"I'm not talking about those small patches of dirt they call colonies," the figure continued, "I'm talking about worlds like, Elysium and Eden Prime," that statement caused the audience to go silent.

A Batarian stood up, "did you really come here and expect us to be your fucking cannon fodder, you think attacking planets like that is simple," he yelled.

The figure raised his omni-tool, "with my help it will be," the omni-tools of all present activated, their eyes widened at what they had just received, "is this…?"

"It is," the figure confirmed, "I promise you, united under me…WE WILL REMIND THE GALAXY WHY IT SHOULD FEAR US," the figure roared. Soon all the others were yelling in affirmation.

John deactivated his omni-tool, "that isn't the whole recording, but I take it this is sufficient proof about what I claim," Shepard said, his eyes hard.

Salvitus twitched, he looked as if he was still trying to find a way to deny the corporal's claims of a larger conspiracy. "This threat is real general. Someone has united the Terminus clans. They have a massive force at their command and somehow, they had Alliance clearance codes," John stated seriously.

The other general placed a hand on his colleague's shoulder, "We can't deny this evidence Salvitus. We need to report this back to Palaven," Salvitus shook himself a little to regain his composure, "we shall do that Victus," he turned to the other human next him, "rest assured captain Anderson, we will investigate this matter thoroughly and find who within the Human Systems Alliance has leaked this information," he said.

"You're implying the leak came from the Alliance," Shepard cut in, "last I checked the Hierarchy also had access to these codes," he said scathingly.

Salvitus looked enraged again, but promptly turned around and left with Victus. Anderson stayed with John and soon the two Turians were out of sight.

"Damn John, I knew you were way beyond normal back at boot camp, but what you've done today is nothing short of incredible," the man said in admiration, "you remember when I told you when I fought alongside your mother on this very planet all those years ago. Well I truly never thought I would see something as incredible as her in action again, but you've proven me wrong," the older man chuckled.

"Thanks sir," John responded with a genuine smile.

"You know the hinge heads have already 'requested' that I give you extended leave so that you can recover from this ordeal. Do you have some things you want to do during your leave?" David said, a knowing expression on his face.

Shepard grinned, "I can think of the few things, after all, hell always needs guard dogs."

David nodded and walked away. Shepard's omni-tool then activated. "I thought that the whole purpose of establishing an identity as an Alliance soldier was to keep a low profile," Miranda's voice was heard, clearly annoyed.

"Desperate circumstances Miranda," John said, "I'm sending you over the data now, but the short answer is we need to move up our timetable."

"I see. You do also know you're not going to be able to pretend you didn't do this. The news is already being broadcasted all over the galaxy," Miranda explained.

_Damn_

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Mindoir, Shepard Farmstead**

**Date: 3rd June, 2183**

**Time: 1200 CST**

"Yesterday the colony of Elysium was besieged by an army from the Terminus system on a scale never encountered before. There were times when defeat looked imminent and the future of all the inhabitants of the colony looked bleak. But victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat, although there were many brave heroes responsible for the colony's salvation there is one man who went beyond anyone else to save the people of this world. Corporal Jonathan Shepard."

As the news report continued. Abigail, Arthur and Molly Shepard were sitting on the couch in the family living room, watching the news report on the vid projector. Their eyes widened in surprise for a moment, before they suddenly erupted in cheers for their eldest brother's accomplishments.

Behind them, Hannah Shepard also watched the news report and couldn't help but smile.

* * *

**Location: Palaven, Hastatus Decurion.**

"From video footage we have obtained, Jonathan Shepard held off enemy forces, single-handedly, for no less than seven hours, while his comrades established a defensive line."

In the Academy common area, several human cadets could be seen watching the report on their omni-tools, several of them giving loud cheers and pumping their fists in the air.

Liz Shepard was also watching the report, she was sitting next to a raven-haired young woman. Both smiling proudly, as recordings of John's actions were shown.

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Bachjret Ward, T'soni apartment.**

"But that was not his only accomplishment. With only three other soldiers, Shepard charged straight through enemy lines, completely decimating one of the slaver staging grounds, and regained control of the colony's automated defences. Essentially turning the tide against the invaders."

A crash was heard as Liara dropped the glass she was holding. She and Tali both stared at the screen.

* * *

**Location: Torfan.**

"It should be stated that years ago, corporal Jonathan Shepard's own mother, Admiral Hannah Shepard, was responsible for virtually single-handedly saving the same colony. That achievement earned her the title 'Lion of Elysium'. Well in this reporter's opinion her son has inherited that title. On behalf of everyone, I would like to offer my utmost thanks to the new, Lion of Elysium."

A large assortment of pirates and criminals were watching the broadcast, seething in rage at how their first attack had been a complete failure.

A shadowy figure stepped forward, the same figure from the recording Shepard had recovered. His arms trembled in rage, before he proceeded to grab his pistol and fired several shots into the projector. Yelling in rage, "that bastard again".

* * *

**Location: Khar'shan, Rovan Sakcakan family palace.**

"Alliance command has stated that corporal Jonathan Shepard will receive the illustrious star of Terra for his actions. The highest honour the Alliance can bestow."

The sound of yelling was heard, and a bottle of alcohol was thrown at a projector, destroying it.

Prathan Sakcakan was one of the highest ranking members of the Hegemony, and right now he was shaking in uncontrolled rage.

"HE KILLED MY SON! HE KILLED MY SON AND THEY'RE HONORING HIM!" He roared.

He turned to one of his guards, "get me in contact with her. I will make that bastard pay for what he has done."


	25. Chapter 25: Opening Salvo

A/N: _Italics _indicate internal thought.

**Bold **indicates Shepard Reaper speech

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Opening Salvo**

* * *

**Location: Apien Crest, Trebia System**

**Date: 4****th**** June **

**Time; 0030 CST**

Palaven. The Turian homeworld. It was a world covered in large, fortress like cities and immense mountain ranges. Surrounding the planet was the largest assembly of the Hierarchy's military might in the galaxy. Hundreds of ships patrolled above the world's atmosphere, from frigates to dreadnoughts. The size of the defending force was so great, that it was believed impenetrable. It was a popular belief that the only place in the galaxy that was more heavily defended was the Citadel. Several fleets patrolled diligently, armed with the best weapons available and the greatest detection equipment ever created, no enemy forces would ever set foot on Palaven.

Or so they believed.

Invisible to any of the ships' sensors, and even to the naked eye, a small ship was slowly approaching the fleet. The ship had an avian design, sporting a black and silver colour scheme. The small cockpit was located at the very front, the long sleek body extending behind it. It ended with twin thrusters at the back of the wings, with two more thrusters, attached to smaller, adjustable wings coming off the two larger ones. The ship was 130m long, 55m wide and 30m high. The word Normandy, printed across the side.

Inside the cockpit Jeff Moreau was at the helm. John Shepard standing behind the pilot's chair.

"Keep it steady Joker," Shepard said, glancing at the Turian warships through the windscreen.

"No sign that they've detected us John," Joker replied, "I don't know why your worried. Your stealth tech is perfect, we've landed guys on planets without the hinge-heads finding out before."

"We've gotten shuttles onto planet surfaces undetected before, Jeff," Shepard stated seriously, "this is the first time we'll be doing this with an actual ship."

"Come on, you should have more faith in our girl John, after all, you were the one who designed the Normandy," Jeff responded, chuckling, "Miranda actually praised you for designing the most advanced ship in the galaxy. Miranda, John" he emphasised.

"We'll forgive me if I'm cautious Joker, I'm not one who's staying on the ship," John replied.

"Sure, sure," the pilot responded nonchalantly, "oh, speaking of which, we received the signal from our contact."

"Alright, I'll head down there. Stay ready Joker," John said, walking away.

John opened the doors into a dimly lit room, several robotic arms mounted on the walls began to move as the doors closed again.

A few moments later the Normandy was hovering in Palaven's lower atmosphere, still invisible to all eyes and sensors. The hanger bay doors on the ship's underside opened up and a KODIAK shuttle, invisible like the Normandy, exited and proceeded to descend to the planet surface.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cipritine, Palaven**

**Time: 0045 CST**

Several miles outside of the Turian's capital city, a human was running for his life. He looked ragged and his clothes barely fitted is unhealthy frame, several scars were also visible on his exposed skin. Wyatt Letts had been abducted by slavers when his home colony was attacked seven years ago. He had been sold to a Turian and sent to Palaven. He could only describe his life as a slave as hell, but he had long since realised, he was far from the only one who suffered.

His master is one of the worst kinds of Turians. He used him as his personal punching bag to vent his frustrations whenever he was angry, which was often. He would be brutally beaten on an almost daily basis; all the while being told how worthless his species was and how this was better than they deserved.

If the physical pain wasn't enough, the spiritual pain was just as bad. Whenever he'd have to go out to perform some menial task for his owner, he would see how many other humans suffered like him. Many Turian families would walk down the street with a human slave carrying the days purchases, sometime suffering harsh punishments for not keeping pace. He hated the lifeless looks he saw in the eyes of his fellow humans. But that wasn't nearly as bad as the screams he heard from those being punished.

Soon he was wishing for any release from this life, be it death or rescue. The opportunity had presented itself a month ago.

While buying some alcohol for his master late at night, he met someone in a back alley. Another human, but armed with a suit that could somehow make him completely invisible. He had been told they needed his help and in return, they would get him back home.

He had accepted immediately. It had taken a few weeks, he had to wait until he was certain his master was unconscious, but he had succeeded. He had stolen the guard schedule for Fortress Ramiscus.

The stranger had given him a device. He had been told that when he had the information they needed; he should activate it. It would both short-circuit the tracking implant inside him and provide him a location. So here he was, running towards a hilly area outside the city.

Upon reaching the meeting point he looked around desperately, praying to whatever deity existed that his final hope was not false. He couldn't see anybody here, he thought about calling out, but realised that could attract attention of Turians. And if they found him, he would be tortured to death for what he did.

"**Do you have what we need?" **Wyatt spun around, letting out a small exclamation in surprise as a deep, mechanical voice called out behind him.

The figure the voice belonged to was completely obscured in shadows but he could tell that the figure towered over him and he could make out a pair of red glowing eyes.

"Wh…wher…where did you come from?" he stuttered.

"**I was ensuring you were not followed. This is a critical stage in our goal. We cannot be exposed here,"** every word that came out sent shivers up Wyatt's spine.

"Yeah… Yeah I have it. You promised to get me out of here. He'll kill me when he realises what I've done," he begged, bringing up his omni-tool.

The figure activated his own omni-tool, but it did little to illuminate his appearance.

"**Thank you for your help. I promise you; this will lead to the salvation of countless others. Your passage is right here," **he gestured to his right and suddenly a shuttle became visible, simply resting on the ground.

Wyatt couldn't stop trembling. This was it, he was getting away from these monsters, he was going home, "thank you, thank you so much," he said as he quickly got onto the shuttle.

"**Take him back up to the ship at once," **the figure told the pilot.

As the shuttle ascended, Shepard, still obscured by darkness, clenched his fist.

_All the suffering during the two years we prepared; we could have started rescuing humans from this immediately after we perfected the stealth tech…._

_**If you had done that…. The vermin would have realised something was wrong… our path towards vengeance would have been ruined, **_the voice cut into his thoughts again.

_**Use your anger Jonathan…. add the two extra years of suffering to the years' worth of pain that we will inflict upon this scum… remember… we cannot start as a flickering ember….. If we are to purge this galaxy of its infestation….. we must start as a raging inferno.**_

**We will witness their despair as our righteous judgement will rain down upon them! **

John clutched his temple, he hated the voice in his head, he had tried to find some way to shut it out these past two years.

John pulled out two small devices, about the size of cricket balls. They whirred to life and began to hover. Small remote control, camera drones. After all they want this to be seen by everyone.

Shepard looked into the distance and at the massive structure.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Fortress Ramiscus**

**Time: 0100**

Ramiscus was more than a fortress. It was the heart of the Turian military. It had a history reaching back to the unification wars of Palaven, and the Hierarchy had made sure to keep it up-to-date with the most advanced technology. Every important detail about the Turian Hierarchy was kept in this fortress, the most senior officials of high command had their meetings here. It was for this reason that there was an entire army just to protect this one building. If Palaven was the most secure place in the galaxy, this was a most secure place on Palaven.

The Fortress itself was a massive structure, easily displaying the militaristic architecture that was so prevalent on the Turian homeworld. The building itself was metallic and square, its size was comparable to that of a small town. The outside walls supporting multiple anti-infantry guns, and on each corner of the structure, massive cannons capable of bringing down enemy frigates, were positioned. Outside the building, multiple tanks, gunships and squads of soldiers patrolled tirelessly, all dedicated to preserving the fortress' reputation of being impenetrable.

A squad of soldiers walked up to the main gate of the fortress at the end of their patrol shift, another squad was already waiting outside the front gate to relieve them. The Turians lined up, and one by one had a biometric scan performed on them, before they were let inside the fortress. As the last member of the squad walked through the doors, he failed to notice a fluctuating silhouette a few inches behind him. However, as the Turian began to walk down the hallway, his instincts told him something was wrong. Quickly, he looked behind him but saw nobody there. Sweeping his gaze across the area, he sighed and shook his head, there was nothing out of place and no alarms had gone off. "Must be my imagination," he mumbled.

He began to walk down the hallway and failed to notice a pair of red eyes staring at his back from the shadows.

The HUD in Shepard's helmet pinpointed several locations in the fortress. He silently walked through the halls, making no sound, pushing himself against the wall whenever guards walked by. He kept a close eye on the status of his tactical cloak, it was working optimally and showed no signs of failing.

Upon reaching one of the locations, he deactivated his cloak, he wouldn't be able to carry out this next task with it active. He was still hidden in the shadows of the hallway though, invisible save for a pair of glowing red eyes. He raised his hand, the familiar red lightning crackled around his fingers and condensed into a small sphere in the centre of his palm.

Shepard quickly kneeled down and moved the sphere of energy into a nearby duct. The light fading once again to pure darkness as the sphere moved out of sight.

Shepard re-activated his tactical cloak and made his way through the fortress depositing a dozen more energy spheres throughout the structure.

After finishing this task, he finally reached his true target.

He stood in front of a door at the end of a hallway. **"EDI, do you have control of the systems yet?" **he asked.

"As many as I can Shepard, I cannot attempt to gain control of more without giving my presence away," the AI responded through his helmet.

"**But you have control of the ones we need right?"**

"Yes, I have set the security sensors inside the room on a loop, but that will not fool them for long. I also hacked the door and I control the power supply to all devices in the room," she explained.

"**Good, we can't risk them cutting off power to the room before we've got what we need. All right…. kill the lights,"**

* * *

**000**

* * *

Inside the room two Turian's were standing guard. They immediately became alert when the lights inside the room suddenly cut off, plunging them into darkness. "What the hell happened?" one of them asked. "No idea, it's just the lights, everything else in the room still has power, maybe—"

He was cut off as the doors suddenly opened. The hallway on the other side was completely dark as well, but they could still make out the silhouette of a figure standing in the doorway. It towered over them; a pair of demonic red eyes caused them both to flinch as if he was staring into their very souls.

Before either of them could cry out, the figure grabbed two guns off his back and fired. Two streaks of red flew across the room and impacted them both in the chest. It bypassed their shields, burned through their armour and the flesh beneath. Both Turians fell to the ground dead, small wafts of smoke coming from the holes in their bodies.

John looked down at his weapons. They looked like bulky, single-handed shot guns just over half a metre in length. The main part of the weapon was black while the handle and the very tip of the barrel were metallic grey. There was also a line running along the length of the weapons, glowing the same red colour as his eyes.

_They worked perfectly this time, _he thought.

* * *

**000**

* * *

_(flashback)_

_John was working tirelessly on his new project, after attaching the final piece. He flipped the new weapon over in his hands a few times. _

_It was the size of a normal M-3 Predator pistol, sporting black and dark grey colours. _

_He couldn't help but grin as he held the pistol and pointed it at the nearby target. Carefully he channelled the energy into his hand. No red lightning appeared, but on the pistol, a line along the side of the barrel began to light up with the same red colour. The sound of energy charging could be heard from within the pistol._

_Feeling ready, Shepard pull the trigger._

_A loud boom echoed off the walls of the lab as the gun exploded in his hand. The force sent him flying and smashing into the wall behind him._

_Groggily, Shepard pulled himself back up to his feet and looked at his hand. The burns caused by the explosion were already beginning to heal. The same could not be said for the charred remains of the gun that he was now holding._

"_I think I'm gonna need a bigger gun," he said out loud._

* * *

**000**

* * *

Shepard turned his attention to his intended target. With the room still plunged in darkness the many flickering lights easily guided him to what he wanted.

Servers.

Within this room stood dozens of data servers. Some of the Hierarchies most top-secret information was kept here. Fleet patrol routes. Clearance codes. And of course…other secrets.

"**EDI link up and start downloading. Don't try to hack any of the files, you'll have plenty of time to do that when we are in a safe location," **he ordered.

"Commencing. I must warn you that I will not be able to mask this download for long. It will only be a short amount of time before they send troops to investigate what is happening," she responded as her avatar appeared next to the main console.

"**That's fine EDI. You know I was never planning to sneak out of here,"**

* * *

**000**

* * *

It wasn't long before Shepard heard dozens of footsteps approaching the doorway.

In the hallway in front of the server room door, a squad of Turians had gathered, their weapons aimed towards the closed doors. "Unit 357B respond," one of the soldiers said into his comms, he gave a frustrated grunt. "No response from the men stationed in there, soldier?" the officer barked. "No lieutenant, nothing," the first Turian replied.

"Well something is happening in there. We detected a massive transfer of data, and as far as we can tell it's still happening," The lieutenant said, his expression grim. "Sir they could be stealing information that could cripple the Hierarchy. With all due respect, I think this is adequate justification to fry the servers and deny the enemy the information," the soldier responded.

"You think we haven't tried that. Something has infected our systems, we can't send the self-destruct command to the servers, we can't even cut power to the room," the officer gave a deep sigh, "the General is also convinced that no one could have been able to infiltrate this fortress undetected, he's convinced there isn't an intruder and it's just some technical glitch,"

"sir you think this could be…. Cerberus," the soldier theorised, cautiously.

"ha ha ha ha," the lieutenant burst into laughter, "you mean that ragtag group of filthy humans who live under the delusion that they can oppose the Hierarchy. If you are going to come up with theories at least make sure they're plausible," he said still letting out small chuckles.

"No, I believe this infiltrator must be from the Hegemony. Four eyed bastards believe they should be ruling the galaxy. Squad move forward and fin-,"

His orders were cut off as doors to the server room opened. The room beyond was still enveloped in darkness preventing them from seeing anything. Except, a pair of red demonic eyes glaring at them.

All the soldiers present suddenly felt an immense wave of dread a wash over them. The hands holding their guns began to tremble. Several of them even took several steps back at the menacing aura that was being projected. They barely had time to react before it happened.

They saw some movement within the darkness, before several flashes of red shot out at them. Six Turians fell to the ground dead. Burning holes now present in their armour.

In a panic the others returned fire. But their shots were stopped by some red barrier.

"Fall back. Alert the base that we have an invader. Send reinforcements, we must not let this monster-," a bolt of red passed through his head, he fell to the ground dead with smoke rising from his partially charred face.

John let the doors shut as the remaining Turians ran, **"how's the download going EDI?" **He asked.

"Almost complete, I am also connected with the camera drones and ready to broadcast the Co-op signal any time." At that second John heard alarms begin to ring throughout the base. They knew he was here now.

After waiting a few more minutes, Shepard heard another massing of enemies outside the door, he could tell this one was much larger.

_They probably bought most of the fortress personnel to stop me_

_**Excellent….. The more of these bastards we kill hear today, the greater impact this will make on the Galaxy….. After today they will all know to fear us….. Doesn't it sound glorious John?**_

Shepard shook his head, trying to clear the voice from his mind. His Attention was drawn to the voices he heard from the other side of the door.

"General Fandros, we have confirmed that the intruder is still inside the server room. We believe he is still downloading information from the servers," John heard a Turian say.

Fandros, that was a name he recognised, **"EDI, what information do we have on a Fandros?" **he asked, "nothing pleasant," the AI responded, "Fandros fought against the Alliance in the first contact war. He allegedly achieved many great victories for the Hierarchy by conquering several human garrisons. In truth they were simple colony worlds with not much in the way of Armed Forces. He massacred them down to the last man, woman and child, and the hierarchy simply covered it up. He is listed as the man in command of this fortress, as well as a General Sanrius. Who I can confirm is co-ordinating the forces outside the fortress,"

Shepard clenched his gauntleted hands, hearing about what this man had done.

"Understood soldier," another voice rang out from the other side of the door, this one full of arrogance "you know what our duty is here. This invader has dared to challenge our authority as the peacekeepers of this galaxy. He has invaded fortress Ramiscus itself. Our honour demands that we do not let this insult stand. We will subdue this enemy and make an example of him," Shepard could tell that this was Fandros giving the speech.

_You're in for a surprise General._

"**EDI Start the Co-opt signal," **he commanded.

* * *

**000**

* * *

All over the galaxy, from Earth to Kar'shan, from Thessia to the Citadel. The same thing happened. Every screen, no matter whether it was a public viewing screen, screens within people's homes, even the screens on people's omni-tools. They suddenly stopped displaying what they should have and all displayed the same thing. An aerial view of Fortress Ramiscus.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Back inside the fortress, the lights went out and the hallway was plunged into darkness. The Turian soldiers kept level heads, but they had no time to consider what had happened as the doors of server room opened.

Several bolts of red energy shot out like before, and several soldiers fell to the ground dead. However, unlike last time that was quickly followed by large, rapid clunks as they saw the figure of the intruder running towards them. The last thing multiple Turians saw was a massive imposing shadow with blazing red eyes.

A fist smashed into the head of one soldier, crushing his head against the wall. Another let out pitiful gurgles as five large slashes appeared on his face. Another was grabbed by his face and slammed into the ground with bone crushing force, leaving a small impact crater. There was a flash of red, and a Turian's head rolled off his shoulders.

The few remaining Turians quickly started to backup, but they were dropping like flies. Fandros stood behind all of his man, contemplating running away and hoping the remaining soldiers could buy him enough time to escape.

This thought was instantly dashed, as the two soldiers in front of him were smashed into opposite sides of the hallway and fell to the ground unmoving. He felt a metallic hand grasping him by his throat and lift him off his feet.

His eyes widened in horror as he finally got a full view of his attacker. "Please…. Please don't kill me, I can help you get whatever you want. Just don't kill me," the general begged, gasping for breath.

"**Whatever I want?" **The figure asked. Fandros nodded rapidly.

"**What I want, is to see slaver vermin like you exposed and exterminated. And that starts today,"**

Shepard clenched his first…. And all the energy spheres placed around the fortress… Detonated.

* * *

**000**

* * *

The explosions tore through the structure. Hundreds of Turians were consumed by the inferno that suddenly appeared within the building's hallways. The massive structural failure caused the central tower of the fortress to collapse. The Palaven night sky was illuminated by the explosions.

This entire spectacle was observed by everyone. All over the galaxy, people began to tremble in fear and confusion at the destruction they had just witnessed.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Palaven, Hastatus Decurion**

Elizabeth Shepard, shot up from her bed. Woken by the deafening booms that had echoed across the landscape. She quickly ran out of the sleeping quarters and into the common area, and she was joined by dozens of her fellow cadets, both human and Turian. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked out the window and saw the massive flames in the distance.

"Ramiscus," she mumbled under her breath.

* * *

**000**

* * *

General Sanrius stood in front of the ruins of what, just a few moments previously, was thought to be the greatest fortress on Palaven. All the surrounding patrols and other reinforcements had amassed behind him. Several hundred soldiers, even tanks and gunships. He stood tall and proud in the mists of the assembled army.

Inwardly though, he was a bag of nerves, _this is an absolute catastrophe, _he thought, _this will be an incomprehensible blow to our reputation….. We have to punish the perpetrators for this as soon as-_

His thoughts were cut off as he saw something impossible. A silhouette, walking through the flames of the inferno as if he were taking a stroll. The figure soon emerged completely, standing several metres in front of the fortress main gate, several gunships trained their spotlights on him, and Sanrius couldn't help but flinch slightly at the sight of the being before him.

He was wearing a heavy armour-plated suit, that gave him several inches of height over any of the soldiers present. Were it not for the fluidity of the figure's movements, Sanrius would have thought that he was a mech. The armour was primarily black, with dark grey colours around the thighs and upper arms. The face plate was painted white, giving the image of a skull. In the centre of the chest there was a glowing red circle. The same red as the eyes that were now glaring at the assembled Turians. The gauntlets were a lighter grey colour, ending in clawed fingers. There were multiple spikes positioned on the shoulders, upper arms, forearms and knees. The figure wore a sleeveless, black trench coat over his armour, with a hood covering his head. The shadow created by the hood only seem to increase the demonic effect of the shining red eyes. Two weapons could also be made out, attached to his back. With the fires of the base blazing behind him, he looked the very image of monsters sent from hell.

Sanrius' attention was quickly drawn to something held within the figure's hand…it was General Fandros. He was breathing heavily and blood flowed from his head from where the claws were digging into his skull, but he was alive.

The other Turian General finally recomposed himself, and spoke with a voice filled with as much authority as he could muster, "Do you have any understanding of what you have done here today terrorist?" he yelled, "this grievous insult to the honour of the Hierarchy and all the lives you have taken today will not go unanswered," he continued, "who are you to-"

"**I am a reckoning….. for your Hierarchy….. and for all who live under the banner of the Citadel Council," **the figure cut him off. His mechanical voice was echoed across the terrain. All over the galaxy, screens had zoomed in on him.

"**You have spent years, living in the fantasy that there would be no consequences for the atrocities you vermin have committed. For years we have been forced to suffer in silence, to simply stand there and bear our unjust punishment. Today I ended that silence," **

"**The unspeakable crimes that have been committed have not been forgotten. We will take our justice. Today is only the first blood that will be spilled in recompense for the innocent blood that you have shed,"**

Sanrius was trembling at every word that came out of the figures mouth but he put on brave facade and responded, "What nonsense are you speaking? We are the honourable protectors of all of Citadel space. The guardians of peace across the galaxy."

The General began to sweat as their attacker burst out laughing.

"**HA HA HA HA! Your peace is a joke. Its strength is comparable to that of a pane of glass…..and I am taking a hammer to it."**

Shepard held up the barely breathing Turian in his hand in front of him for everyone to see. Red lightning began to surge around the Turian. All over the galaxy, eyes widened in horror, people grasped in terror and many needed to vacate their bowels as they saw the General wither into a dry husk.

Sanrius could only stare in pure fear as the figure dropped the corpse, that fell to the ground, completely stiff.

"**You have chosen your fate slaver vermin. I am merely here to reap what you have sown."**

**[BGM start: 'Edge of a Revolution' by Nickelback]**

Red energy surrounded Shepard as he bent his legs and jumped into the sky. He grabbed both his guns and a barrage of red energy bolts rained down on the army he was facing. Dozens of Turians fell to the ground, with burning holes in their chests or heads. Some of the soldiers made futile attempts to fire back, but the slugs were repelled by a red barrier. More red energy surged around John as he activated his biotic charge. He smashed into the mists of the soldiers like a meteor. The half a dozen soldiers under him were completely pulverised, whilst every other soldier within several yards was sent flying by the shockwave.

All the Turians surrounding him slowly backed away as he stood in the middle of a small crater, surrounded by Turian bodies. They steeled themselves before charging forward and opening fire, no doubt hoping to overwhelm him with numbers. Shepard shot two of them, charging from his left, seemingly ignoring any of the rounds that hit him. As another group from his right fired on him, he ran forward and John jump-flipped over them, opening fire while he did so. Their bodies fell to the ground at the same time he landed.

He swung his arm at a nearby Turian, the blades on his forearm slicing through his throat. He then opened fire with his guns again taking down a dozen more soldiers. At this point many of the Turians were desperately trying to get away from him, he was moving too fast for them. As they tried to back away, two of the gunships began to open fire on him, seemingly uncaring as they gunned down several of their own comrade's. Shepard took a moment to increase the strength of his barrier, it held strong even against the powerful rounds from the gunship. He then aimed his weapons and held down the triggers, two intensifying red glows began to appear from the barrels of his guns. When he released the triggers, two larger blasts of red energy shot out. One hit a gunship dead on, destroying the cockpit, and sending it crashing to the ground. The other destroyed the wing of the other gunship, causing it to spiral out of control and crash.

Many Turians stared at the crashed gunships mouth agape, Sanrius had lost all semblance of control and simply yelled at his men, "Kill him! Kill him!" Shepard raised up both his guns in front of him, then began to fire rapidly in every direction, his arms were moving with such speed that it looked like a constant stream of red bolts in a 360° pattern was being fired, as he continuously fired at the soldiers around him. The Turians barely had time to take aim before they began to fall in droves. One shot clipped the General's thigh, who fell to the ground screaming.

Shepard focused his attention on one of the tanks slowly making its way towards him, he pointed both of his weapons at it and charge up two more shots. The two large bolts hit the vehicle dead on, causing a massive explosion and incinerating any Turian soldiers nearby.

Shepard, still holding his guns, smashed the face of a Turian with the side of his hand, breaking both his faceplates and his neck. He elbowed another in the face, the blade piercing through his eye and into his brain. Suddenly a slug clipped John's upper arm, the shot having pierced his armour, he quickly spun round to see that the offending Turian was some distance away, armed with a high-power sniper rifle. Shepard didn't show any reaction to his injury and fired, nailing the soldier in the head. _Dammit I got too reckless, I can't forget that a strong as my armour is, it isn't invincible…. I also got to maintained my barrier. _ Another Turian ran at him armed with a combat knife, Shepard responded by giving him a powerful head-butt, he heard a sickening crack as he caved in the unfortunate soul's head.

_**They are pathetic... They are nothing compared to our power…. Kill more Jonathan….. Let this night be forever remembered as one of the darkest in Palaven's history.**_

Shepard wanted to deny it, but he couldn't help but admit, part of him, a part of him deep down, was enjoying this. He was enjoying seeing the military force that had walked all over humanity like insignificant bugs for years, and caused unimaginable suffering without mercy, finally receive the same kind of treatment.

He inwardly cringed, _damn it….. I've been trying to move past these dark feelings…. I need to remember…. I'm doing this to help humans, not punish aliens._

He was brought out of his thoughts as one of the other gunships began to open fire on him. He quickly re-erected his biotic barrier successfully protecting him from the slugs. He glared intensively at the flying vehicle. He crouched down and leapt up into the air again, suddenly jump jets in his boots activated, sending him flying towards the gunship. The pilot practically screamed as the attacker latched onto his gunship, his clawed fingers digging into the chasse like it was tissue paper. Shepard made his way up to the cockpit, before reeling back his fist and smashing through the canopy. He pulled the pilot out of his seat and sent him dropping to the ground screaming, he then reached inside and grabbed the controls and began to manoeuvre the gunship… directly towards another gunship. Shepard pushed himself away just as they collided in a massive explosion. He landed back on the ground creating another small crater, just in time to witness the two wrecked gunships land on another tank, causing another massive explosion.

Shepard took this moment to look around at the terrified faces of the Turians. Then, to their shock, he placed his guns on his back again, then charged at them with his bare hands. One Turian tried to attack Shepard with the butt of his rifle, the human simply responded by backhanding him, the spikes impaling his head. Several more charged at him, but he let loose a red biotic shockwave, sending them all flying. He spun behind him and punched another soldier in the chest, caving in his rib cage. He then kicked another one, sending him flying off his feet and crashing into several of his comrades. He swung his hand in a large arc, the claws on his fingers slicing through the throats of two more Turians. One Turian was able to land a lucky punch on the side of the human's face, but he barely even reacted to it, before delivering a powerful uppercut into the Turians chin, sending him flying off his feet and breaking his neck. As another soldier charged him, Shepard's hand shot out and grabbed him by his head, he looked into the Turian's terrified eyes for second before he tightened his grip and crushed his skull.

He sent one soldier flying with a right hook, another directly behind him with a left. He grabbed another by his collar and then kneed him in the face, the spike blade on his knee skewering his head. A Turian charged at him with a combat knife, Shepard simply grabbed his wrist and with a small twist, snapped it, as the knife fell, he grabbed it with his other hand and drove into the Turian's neck.

Suddenly Shepard turned his head towards the advancing forms of more tanks. The first one opened fire directly at him, however he was able to dodge it by using a biotic charge. He responded by sending a biotic lift towards the lead tank, the red energy sent the vehicle into the air, causing it to flip over in the air a few times before crashing down on its back. Not pausing for a second John charged at the remaining three tanks, he leapt into the air and quickly generated two red energy spheres in his hands, he quickly launched them at the other two tanks, creating massive explosions. With only one tank left, he reeled his fist back and smashed down onto it. The force caused the front of the tank to completely cave in as if it were made of cardboard, before it was consumed in another explosion.

Of the hundreds of Turian soldiers that had come to fight this attacker, barely fifty remained. They looked at the blazing wrecks of the tanks, hoping that this human…. This monster that had slaughtered them was finally dead.

**[BGM end]**

Their eyes widened in terror as they saw the cloaked figure emerged from the fire as if nothing had happened. He merely looked around at the remaining soldiers, nonchalantly.

"**I came to see what the greatest military in the Galaxy had to offer," **he folded his arms** "I am not impressed,"**

With those words whatever spirit the Turians had left broke. They dropped their guns and ran.

_**Hold on… That's not right…. I remember hearing…. You only see the back of a Turian…. When there dead…. **_The voice spoke out, in an extremely sadistic tone, _**John, why don't we do our part to protect…. The honour of the Turian hierarchy.**_

Shepard immediately pulled out both his guns and aimed them at the fleeing forms of the Turians. His fingers curled around the triggers….

His arms dropped to his sides. He took several laboured breaths. _Their retreating…. why did I draw my guns on them…. why did I want to…. what is happening to me._

John quickly pushed those thoughts aside as he heard a groaning from his right. He looked to see the crawling form of General Sanrius. He slowly made his way over to him.

The general froze up as a massive shadow loomed over him, shakily he turned around to face the person….. no, the demon that had decimated his entire army. The General grunted his pain is the demon picked him up by his jaw, "Please…. Please…. Have mercy, I- AHHH!" He screamed in pain as he felt the grip on his jaw tighten.

"**Tell me Sanrius, during the Battle of Horizon did you show mercy after the soldiers had surrendered. WAS THAT MERCY WHEN YOU EXECUTED ALL THEIR FAMILIES IN FRONT OF THEM?!"**

Sanrius could only stare back into the red eyes in horror, **"I will expose all the atrocities that you and your kind have committed, and I will see justice served."**

"**You may think this is a nightmare, but I assure this is only the start," **

Sanrius could only scream in pain as his life was drained away.

Shepard dropped the corpse and gave one last glare at the camera drones, before they ended their galaxy wide broadcast.

Suddenly a huge wind started blowing away all the dust and small rubble. The cause of this was soon revealed as the Normandy de-cloaked.

Shepard calmly walked up the ship's ramp, as the ship began to ascend, its cloak reactivating.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Shepard walked into the centre of the hangar bay….

Where he fell to his knees and then flat onto his face, his armour clanging against the floor.

Several of the crew members grasped in shock and rushed over to him as he tried to push himself back up with his shaking arms.

EDI's avatar materialised in front of them, "I would like to point out, that you deviated considerably from the original plan. Our agreed-upon course of action was for you to cause severe casualties to the infantry, then call the Normandy to finish off the vehicles. Your chosen course of action of fighting the entirety of the forces yourself was incredibly reckless. Your readings show that you are pushing your energy levels dangerously close to Miss Lawson's safety limits," the AI scolded him.

John had successfully pushed himself up to his elbows. **"I was trying to maximise the impact I would have EDI, besides you know they say. Limits are made to be broken."**

The AI narrowed her holographic eyes at him, "Do I need to remind you that you are humanities greatest hope of liberation, you cannot afford to get killed due to simple recklessness," she said pointing the hole in Shepard's armour.

"**All right, all right I understand,"** he replied, **"So have you hacked into those files yet?"** he asked.

"Yes. I have compiled a list of priority targets of attack. I will present them to you after you have received a minimum of eight hours rest."

"**Fine,"** he groaned in response,

A few minutes later Shepard had succeeded in dragging himself to his personal quarters. A hiss of pressured air escaped from his helmet as he pulled down his hood and removed it. He had chosen every crew member of the Normandy personally, but Joker and EDI were the only two on board who knew his real identity. "Hey Joker," he called on the intercom, "I know the best approach from a strategical standpoint, would be to simply sneak out of the system undetected, but how about you show them how dangerous your piloting skills are?" he said.

In the cockpit massive grin formed on Jeff's face, "Hell yeah," he responded, deactivating the cloaking system.

**000**

On the bridge of a Turian Dreadnaught.

"What do you mean we can't lock on weapons. They've deactivated their cloak," the ship's commanding officer shouted.

"I can't explain it sir," one of the ensigns responded, "they're still not showing up on any of our sensors."

The officer growled as he turned to look back out the observation window, where he could see the small ship rapidly approaching them.

A light began to shine at the front of the small ship, then a bright blue beam shot out of it. Unlike normal element zero based weaponry, which fired single shots, this came out as a constant stream. It sliced along the length of the ship, overwhelming the kinetic barriers and causing massive damage. As the Turians on the ship began to scramble to understand the extent of the damage, the Normandy shot past the window and out of sight. Therefore, they didn't see it when the Normandy's secondary wings re-angled themselves, causing the smaller ship to rapidly change direction and face down towards the Turian dreadnought. The Normandy fired another beam, this time cutting right through this centre of the ship and causing it to explode.

The human ship sped away from the exploding dreadnought, resuming its course towards the systems mass relay. Several other Turian ships began to pursue, firing their weapons but unable to hit the smaller ship. As they approach the relay, the Turian Navy received another shock as several Cerberus cruisers de-cloaked. They fired the same beam weaponry as the Normandy, quickly making short work of several Turian frigates and a cruiser. By the time the Turian fleet had reorganised themselves, all the enemy ships had gone.

They were so outraged having failed to destroy their attackers, they all failed to see dozens of cloaked KODIAK shuttles entering Palaven's atmosphere.

* * *

**A/N: **Shepard's armour looks like iron man MKIII from the MCU with the paint job of Reaper from overwatch, The profile picture is my drawing of it.


	26. Chapter 26: Tools of Destruction

A/N: _Italics _indicate internal thought.

**Bold **indicates Shepard Reaper speech

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Tools of Destruction**

* * *

**Location: Cipritine, Palaven**

**Date: 5th June**

**Time: 1000 CST**

Half a dozen Turians sat around a table, all of them watching the news feed on a large screen.

"The entirety of the Turian Hierarchy is reeling from a devastating attack carried out last night by a single individual. The attack resulted in the complete destruction of the legendary fortress Ramiscus and the deaths of hundreds of Turian soldiers, including Generals Fandros and Sanrius. The galaxy wide cyber-attack that broadcasted the devastation throughout Citadel space has also caused mass panic. But what seems to have the citizens of the galaxy most terrified, is the terrorist's declarations that this attack was just the start. And thus, many are left to wonder when will the 'Reaper' strike next? And can anything stop this monster?"

Primarch Tactus slammed his fist on the table, "how could this have happened?!" he yelled.

"We're not sure sir," one of the other Turians responded, nervously, "from what we can tell, he was able to walk around the fortress completely undetected, planting those explosives."

The Primarch glared at his subordinate, "and do you have any possible explanation for how a single human was able decimate several platoons of the Hierarchy's best soldiers?" He demanded, outraged.

The others fidgeted uncomfortably, until one decided to speak up, "we believe the armour must be the reason for that sir, although we have no idea how Cerberus could have created technology so advanced, but we can-"

"IMBECILE!" Tactus roared, getting to his feet and slamming both hands on the table, "is that what you think our greatest concern is? Even if we were to ignore the massive casualties we suffered, the entire galaxy knows that we failed to stop the single greatest terrorist attack in the Hierarchy's history. This will be a catastrophic blow to our reputation as the defenders of Citadel space. What is worse, is that we have no idea where this terrorist is," he sat back down "let me be very clear, I want this wretched human found. I want an example made of him. And I want it done before he attacks again."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: The Normandy, Agalius System**

**Time: 2200**

Shepard leaned over the sink in his bathroom. He let water pool in his hands before splashing it over his face.

_**You were too soft back on Palaven Johnny, **_John gritted his teeth and lifted his head and stared at the mirror, …..it was not showing his reflection any more.

It was showing the skull painted helmet of Reaper.

John couldn't help but growl slightly, the visual manifestation of the presence within him had changed from a formless shadow, to the form of his armour, soon after he had made it two years ago.

"We destroyed the fortress. We inflicted massive casualties on the Hierarchy. The entire galaxy heard our declaration. Nothing further was required," John hated having conversations with this thing, but he had found that simply ignoring it only seemed to motivate it to be more vocal.

_**You allowed them to flee….. You should have finished the job and slaughtered all of them…. It is what they deserved, **_

"I am doing this to save our people from the evil of this civilisation," he shouted, he then looked down regretfully, "….and I promised….. I wasn't going to become like those I fought against…not again,"

_**You speak as if they deserve mercy…. when they do not…**_

"if they accept that humanity will no longer be slaves then we won't have any reason to kill them," Shepard responded, although his voice wavered slightly.

_**I see… Your time with those two back on the Citadel has put this naive idea into your head…. you are free to hold onto such foolish notions for as long as you want… but eventually you will witness the true depravity humanity has suffered under them… and then you will accept that the only acceptable course of action is….. Extermination!**_

The image of Reaper faded, to reveal Shepard's own reflection. John couldn't help but massage his temples, he desperately wanted to believe that during this conflict the alien's better nature, that he knew existed would become more apparent, but he couldn't deny that he occasionally wondered if he was only deluding himself.

Shepard put on his armour and entered the ship's CIC.

"**What is the situation on this planet?" **He asked.

"Our target is this," EDI said, as her avatar brought up a hologram of a large structure, "from the files I decrypted this facility appears to be a weapons factory of some kind. Ordinarily this would not arouse suspicion, but the existence of this facility is known only to the highest echelons of the Turian Hierarchy. I have also determined that the Hierarchy has gone to great lengths to keep the location of this factory secret from the others Citadel races,"

"Well that's not suspicious at all," Joker called out sarcastically.

"**Finding out the secrets of this facility is a secondary objective, remember that everyone," **Shepard clarified, addressing all the personnel in the CIC.

"Your correct," EDI confirmed, "from what I've discovered, this factories workforce consists entirely of human slaves, numbering at over two-thousand."

"**And our main mission objective is to rescue them. Once they're clear we'll level this place. What is the infiltration plan EDI?"**

"The easiest point of access would seem to be this disposal chute," the AI explained, highlighting it on the hologram, "from there you will make your way to the main control room and connect me to the main computer, I will then deactivate all automated defences, lock down the armouries and download all information on the weapons. You will head to the cells and release the prisoners. The evacuation ships are waiting on our signal."

"**Everyone understand the plan?" **Shepard asked, **"Good, let's bring these people home."**

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Baetetia, Turian Facility**

**Time: 2230**

John peered from behind the rocky outcrop to get a better look at factory in the distance. _That place is pretty big, it's holding possibly a few thousand humans, and there's also the storage facilities for the weapons they build, why does the Hierarchy want this place kept a secret?_

Shepard activated his stealth cloak and began to move. To crawl up the disposal chute, he first needed to jump into the massive incineration pit built inside a large crevice. Most people would find this disgusting, but most people hadn't seen sites as gruesome as Shepard had.

"According to the intel, the incinerators will not activate for three more hours."

"**Thanks EDI," **Shepard looked down into the pit. The dark made it difficult to see the bottom, but he could make out the faint outline of it. It was quite a drop, but nothing he couldn't handle**. **Without giving another thought, Shepard leapt down. He hit the bottom with a crunch and a squelch. He set is sites on the exposed chute and made towards it.

However, he stopped dead as his first step was accompanied by a sickening snap, he looked down to try and find the source of the noise….. and was shocked to see that he had stepped on the arm of a human corpse.

Shepard took a small step back in shock at the site only to back step onto another body. That's when realisation finally hit him, looking around, he saw dozens and dozens of human corpses. Spread all over the ground. Buried under other rubbish. Piled on top of each other. This wasn't a garbage dump.

This was a mass grave.

_**Truly shocking isn't it Johnny…..but hardly unexpected….. they only see us as something to be used…. and then thrown away.**_

Shepard shook his head several times, and by sheer force of will focused back on the people he could still save. He began to climb up the inside of the chute. His claws easily digging into the metal. He made sure to keep his moves silent as he slowly ascended.

As he got near the top, he could make out two voices, "Three more used up today, I swear we need to get slaves that can last longer," he heard one Turian say. John reached the top and carefully poked his head above the end of the chute into the disposal room. He saw two Turians pushing a cart, he could make out several more human bodies inside. "What does it matter? Is not like it's hard to get more," the other Turian remarked.

Shepard resisted the urge to jump from his hiding place and rip them both to pieces. One of the Turians made their way to the garbage chute, he didn't have time to cry out as Shepard's hand shot out, dug his claws into his head and killed him. The other Turian's eyes widen in panic, but his cries for help were promptly silenced by an energy bolt between the eyes.

Shepard stepped onto the floor,** "I'm in," **he said into his comms, before activating his stealth cloak.

Shepard carefully made his way through the facilities corridors. As he came to another door, he pushed himself against the wall. When the door opened, to let a guard through, he slipped through himself. He emerged in a huge cavernous space; various crates were stacked around. His curiosity getting the better of him, he opened several of them. At first glance they weren't filled with anything unexpected, weapons and grenades. However, upon further inspection Shepard saw that these were very different from the standard models used by the Turian military, they looked as if they were designed to deal more damage. Putting that aside he looked upwards to see several walkways traversing the room.

"Following those walkways is the most direct route to the control room, be cautious of the guards," EDI advised him. Shepard quickly and quietly, scaled up a nearby stack of crates and leapt onto the walkway.

On his way to the control room he found himself on a walkway looking down on several massive assembly-lines. Working at the assembly lines, he could count several hundred human slaves. Most looking malnourished and exhausted, he noticed one pause for a second to catch his breath, and was rewarded by one of the guards shocking him with a varren prod. He saw another completely keel over from exhaustion, one of the guards promptly started kicking her, but Shepard's HUD had already informed him that she had expired.

From what he'd seen, John had learned that this place worked in several changing shifts, ensuring that the assembly lines ran 24/7. Shepard's fist tightened, deforming the railing he was currently holding. A large part of him wanted this jumped down there and start shooting, but he had learned that charging in headfirst would only put all those he sought a rescue in danger. However, once these people were safe, there would be nothing to protect the vermin here. He turned away and resumed his trek to the control room.

Reaching his target, Shepard once again waited for a Turian to leave the room, then used the opportunity to sneak in. There were three Turians, all sitting down at terminals, none showing any real signs of attentiveness.

"What the hell is taking the Colonel so long? He does know he's supposed to oversee all operations from here right," one of the Turian's asked, seemingly uncaring.

"You know what he's like at this time. I swear he loses track of time when he's 'disciplining' the workforce," another Turian responded.

The third Turian gave a dry chuckle, "Yeah. You know we probably wouldn't need to replace these damn apes so much, if he didn't make such an example out of every worker who falls slightly behind their quota."

All three began to laugh, unfeelingly. They were promptly silenced by three energy bolts. Deactivating his cloak, Shepard walked over to the nearest terminal, activating his omni-tool.

"**EDI get control of the systems we need, and let's find out what the Hierarchy is hiding here."**

"Understood," she responded, after waiting for a few minutes, "I have gained control of the necessary system Shepard. Now accessing files….. Interesting."

"**Found something EDI?" **He asked, "Yes. This is not just a weapons factory. This is a weapons research and development facility. Have a look at this…." She brought up the schematics of some kind of bomb on the main screen.

Shepard only needed to study the design for a few seconds before he realised….**"Damn…. The blast yield….. But an explosion from that could decimate a hemisphere," **he stated in slight shock.

"Yes, they say it's based off a design used to….. all it mentions is preventing another Krogan rebellion. That is not the only file of concern," she brought up another file, this time of with a video attached to it.

Shepard held his chin as the video played. It showed a dozen humans, seemingly left in the rocky wasteland of this planet. A voice then said, "beginning test three of low yield defoliater bomb," afterwards a small object was dropped in the mist of the humans. It exploded outwards, releasing what could only be described as a massive wave of fire. After the wave dissipated, the fate of its victims was revealed. The corpses were completely charred black, but more horrifyingly, they were stuck in their final moments of agony, like some kind of morbid statuary.

"That was only a low yield version, from what I can tell larger ones can encompass an entire settlement. They make remarks about testing these out on several human colonies under the guise of a slaver attack," even though she was an AI, John thought he could hear the disgust in her electronic voice.

Shepard didn't respond though, he merely stared at the screen, his expression unreadable behind his helmet. "Shepard?" EDI enquired.

"**These weapons…. they're world killers."**

"Correct. Weapons designed to cause maximum damage to a planet's natural environment….. and illegal under Council law," EDI stated.

John clenched his fists, the metal in his gauntlets creaking, **"EDI…. What is the status of these weapons?" **he asked.

"Most are still in the testing phase, but they seem to have manufactured enough here for distribution throughout the entire Hierarchy…."

"**Delete all data," **he said suddenly, EDI seemed to pause for a second before responding, "The Illusive man would advise that copying the data for these weapons is the best course of action, so that it may be used to aid our—"

"**Delete every trace of these weapons EDI," **Shepard cut her off, he paused for a second, **"Keep the specs and manifests of the facility though. It might be 'problematic' for the Hierarchy if the rest of Citadel space learned about this."**

"Acknowledged,"

"**Then let's get what we really came here for."**

* * *

**000**

* * *

Shepard had arrived at the massive cell blocks. He was standing on another walkway, looking down at a group of Turians currently emerging from one of the cells.

One of them was the Colonel, Shepard deduced from the symbols on his armour. He was in the process of cleaning human blood off an ornate knife.

"Sir don't you think this is causing problems," one of them responded, "we do need all these workers actually… working,"

"don't trouble yourself there is plenty more where those came from. Anyway, they were begging to be released from this hardship, so I released them. Just another act of mercy that these apes do not deserve," the Turian's tone was almost one of boredom.

Having heard enough, Shepard deactivated his cloak and jumped down. He hit the floor with a loud clang, gaining the attention of the group directly in front of him and also the other Turians guarding the cellblock.

They immediately pointed their weapons at him, but some started trembling, "spirits….. that's him…. that's Reaper," many of the guards started mumbling to each other.

The Colonel himself flinched at his sudden appearance but quickly recomposed himself, "so you are the one who attacked Palaven…. You are Reaper," he stated. The armoured figure only glared at him in response causing the Colonel to sweat slightly.

"It was incredibly stupid for you to reveal yourself, and to come to this place alone, but then again it's not like more can be expected of your species," the Turian said.

"**I am all that is needed to deal with vermin like you," **Reaper responded before pulling out his guns. He fired forward, killing the three Turians with the Colonel, before quickly spinning to face the opposite direction and killing two more Turians charging at him.

Dozens of Turians immediately started to converged on his position, several on the walkways pointed their guns down at him, others on the upper floors of the cellblock did the same. Reaper didn't show any reaction to all the weapons pointed at him. He looked back at the Colonel, who was quickly backing away from him.

"**I would also like to re-examine your statement of me being alone," **for a second he deactivated the vocabulator in his helmet so he wouldn't be heard**, "Now EDI,"**

When he began to speak again, is voice was echoed throughout the facility using its own PDA system, **"My fellow humans I know you can hear me. I know what has happened to you. Torn from homes. Torn from families. Your existence reduced to a number, and told you exist only at the whims of others. I won't insult you by saying 'I know what pain you have gone through' in reality it is irrelevant. You all know the truth of this place, that you're just waiting for your time to die and be discarded like garbage."**

He paused for a second before continuing. Inside the cells, the prisoners began to rise to their feet. On the assembly lines, the workers stopped what they were doing and looked up.

"**That is what my purpose here is. I am here offering you a chance to regain your freedom. So… What I ask is: are your spirits broken completely? Are you content to wait for the release of death? Or are you willing to take the chance I am offering? ARE YOU PREPARED TO RISK YOUR LIVES FOR YOUR FREEDOM?"**

The second he finished his speech, all the locks on the cell doors deactivated.

Not even a second later scores of enraged humans emerged, yelling their hearts out, and charged at their tormentors.

The Turians barely had any time to react before they were overrun. Dozens of guards were wrestled to the ground as their former prisoners dove top of them, their guns were quickly wrestled away from their grasps, and then they began to scream in pain as those they had spent years tormenting began to rain down a fury of punches and kicks on them, breaking their bodies.

Some on the upper walkways screamed as they were thrown over the railings, and smashed against the floor. A few lucky Turians were able to gain enough distance from the rioting humans and opened fire with their weapons. They were successful in gunning down a few unfortunate souls, but rather than sow despair among the ranks, it only resulted in a swarm of anger.

Some humans quickly picked up the weapons of fallen Turians and opened fire, gunning down several of them.

The Colonel looked around in panic at the deteriorating situation. He looked down the hallway and his eyes locked with the one responsible for all of this. The terror in his heart swelled as the blazing red eyes glared at him. He turned on his heels and ran. Even then, he could hear the footsteps of Reaper tracking him.

The Colonel ran on to a walkway overlooking one of the assembly lines. Looking down, he could tell the situation was even worse here than the cellblocks.

The Turians present were overwhelmed by the massive number of angered humans. The slaves working on the assembly line had armed themselves with tools and the parts they were previously making.

"Hey hinge head, is this the right part?" One human snarled, as he stood over a downed Turian, a metal pipe raised over his head, "No..No, please…I-" his pleas were cut off as his head was bludgeoned, blue blood, oozing from his fractured skull.

"Time for an inspection, let's open her up!" another yelled as he and a two of his friends began to slice into a guard's stomach, using sharp bits of metal.

"Hey this one is working too slowly. No food for a week!" two humans forced a Turian onto the conveyor belt of the assembly line. The unfortunate Turian could only scream in terror as they pushed a button, activating a press mechanism, reducing him to a bloody smear.

The Colonel's knees were trembling, everywhere he looked he saw the guards being brutally murdered. _This is impossible… We crushed any thought of rebellion out of these pitiful apes… How could we have lost control so fast….._ He tried to rationalise as he continued running.

He activated his omni-tool, "All units, we must get this riot under control. Secure higher-grade weapons from the armouries," he ordered.

"We are trying sir," a guard responded, he could hear the sound of rioting humans on the other end, "the armouries are all locked, they're not responding. We need to…. No, no, AHHHH!" the line went dead."

He ran into one of the large rooms used to store the weapons. He met up with a group of half a dozen Turians, "Colonel….we have to get out of here….. We can't….. We can't…" one of the soldiers was desperately trying to get the words out between laboured breaths.

The Colonel gripped his head with his shaking hands, any response he would have given was cut off as a mob of enraged humans slowly began to approach them. In response the Turians raised their weapons.

"Stay back… Stay back you damn humans," one them said.

Suddenly a large figure shot forward. He delivered a punch into the chest of one of the Turians, sending him crashing into the wall with a pulverised rib cage. He sent another flying with a kick, used the blade on his forearms to slice through the throat of a third. He pulled out his guns, and the last three had no time to react before they were gunned down.

The Colonel stood in absolute fear as Reaper turned towards him, the humans behind him cheering him on. He fell to his knees, "Please … Mercy,"

Beneath his helmet, Shepard was seething, at the Turian's display.

_**Well Johnny….. do you think… there is no reason to kill this vermin…. after all… I think he's accepted that humans should no longer be slaves…..**_

_No…the monsters like him in the galaxy…. they deserve to suffer for what they done,_

"**Can you believe it?" **He said addressing the crowd behind them, **"A proud, noble, superior Turian…. on his knees begging for his life. I believe we should show him mercy," **

The Colonel's eyes widened in surprise at this, before his expression quickly changed to horror as Reaper lifted him by his head, his claws digging into his skull, **"after all, he has shown mercy to many humans here, hasn't he?!"**

Realising what he was implying, humans began to give roars of affirmation. The Colonel could only scream as his life was drained away.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Shepard, still wearing his armour, stood in one of the massive cargo bays of a Cerberus cruiser. One of three that had come to help evacuate the slaves. Although, the cargo bay had been converted into something more resembling a refugee camp. Many were slumped on the ground wrapped in blankets, eating the basic food provided, while those in the worst condition were lying on cots.

He turned away as Joker spoke to him through his helmet, "Hey chief, got confirmation, that everyone's off the planet. So, what we do with the facility?"

Shepard heads began to throb as images of the mass grave he found flashed in his mind, **"commenced bombardment. Level that place,"**

"With pleasure," the pilot responded.

A few moments later, after the ships had reposition themselves, they opened fire on the planet. The shots hit the ground with the force of an earthquake. Most of the buildings were completely vaporised. It only took a few seconds to destroy it completely.

"Anyway, boss is on the QEC, better get back to the Normandy," Joker said

Shepard looked down from the raised section he stood on, at the hundreds of humans getting the help they had been denied for so long.

"**Hey Joker, can you patch through what I'm saying to the other ships,"**

Shepard made his way to the railing, as he did so, some of the humans down below noticed him, this quickly spread and soon he had the attention of every human in the cargo bay.

_It's not enough…. Not enough to just destroy…. put something better in its place, _he mused.

"**First, I would like to say, the purpose of our actions today was to liberate all of you, but you owe us no debt. If you have homes you wish to return to, then we will do all we can to help you return there. If your homes are gone, we will do everything we can to take you somewhere where you can start again," **he said calmly.

**However, I would like you to consider this. Me and all of my comrade's," **he gestured to the dozens of crewmembers, **"chose this path because we refused to sit by while countless innocent people suffered the horror of slavery."**

"**We have saved you today, but do not forget there are still millions of our fellow humans across the galaxy who are still waiting for rescue. And we will rescue them, we will not stop until every human slave is liberated!" **his volume increased as his speech continued.

"**As I said, if you wish to live peaceful lives then we will do all we can to help you. But if there are those among you who wish to aid us in reaching our goal.**

The crowd began getting to their feet, their eyes beginning to shine with admiration.

"**Then you are welcome to join our fight!" **He yelled, raising his fist in the air. The liberated slaves immediately began cheering.

"**Make no mistake, war is coming. In all its glory…. and all its horror. The choice is yours as it is everyone's right to choose?"**

The cheering continued unabated.

Looking over the crowd once more, a proud smile spread over Shepard's face, **"then come my friends. Our freedom awaits."**

* * *

**000**

* * *

Shepard walked into the communications room. The door shut behind him, the lights dimmed and QEC activated, scanning him.

A second later a hologram of the Illusive man appeared before him, sitting in his chair.

"Excellent, Shepard. You barely stopped to rest after the success of your first mission before you left to attack the weapons factory. I suppose now we should discuss the success of both," the man said in his usual calculating tone.

"**I didn't want to take the chance that they would realise it had been compromised. That's why I struck immediately," **Shepard responded.

"You need to remember Shepard, you are the best hope of achieving our goal, we cannot afford to lose you simply because you go off on some reckless mission by yourself."

The Illusive man took a sip of his drink, "nevertheless your attack on fortress Ramiscus was a greater success than we could have hoped for. The destruction of the fortress and the massive casualties they suffered will result in a horrendous blow to their reputation as the defenders of Citadel space. Of course, all the Intel we were able to extract will prove invaluable towards further damaging the Hierarchy," his eyes gained a curious look, "but EDI informed me that you abandoned the original plan and fought the entire army yourself."

"**An army being decimated by a ship is not unprecedented. An army being decimated by a single foot soldier… That sends a whole new message."**

"Indeed," Shepard was unsure whether he saw the man smile slightly. Even after two years John hadn't made any headway in understanding this enigmatic man. To Shepard it felt like this man was seeing angles that no one else in the galaxy saw, and it made him nervous.

"**Have the Palaven cells been established successfully?" **he asked.

The Illusive man merely nodded quietly in response.

"In regards to your more recent mission. The Admirals are very pleased with the prospect of an impressive number of new recruits"

"**Pleased enough that they will stop demanding to know who I am?" **Shepard asked sarcastically, he knew their admiration for the weapons he had provided outweighed their suspicion of his secrecy for the moment, but he knew they still didn't fully trust him, just like they didn't fully trust Illusive man.

"What I want to know, is why you didn't secure the design data for the weapons being researched in that facility."

Shepard immediately tensed up as he remembered seeing what those weapons were capable of, **"we don't need to use 'world-killers' to accomplish our goal," **he responded, gruffly.

"Using that technology, we could have gained might not have been a necessity, the mere idea that we were in possession of such destructive power could have been enough to dissuade our enemies,"

Shepard narrowed his eyes slightly, _maybe he's right….. maybe we wouldn't have had to actually use them….._ He quickly shook his head to clear it of such thoughts.

"**I told you that if I was going to do this, I was going do it my way," **Shepard said with finality.

"Holding onto your ideals may seem admirable, but you need to remember we are at war. As much as we may try to avoid it, these decisions need to be made."

John looked away slightly at that, **"I do have a larger plan in mind. We destroyed the research data, but we kept other data. We have proof that Turian hierarchy was making illegal weapons behind the Councils back."**

The Illusive man looked at him with an intrigued expression, "I see what you're insinuating, but we should hold off on something like that for the moment. We should see what other information we can gather first."

"Take some time to rest 'Reaper', I will have your next mission in a few days," with that he deactivated communications.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Baetetia**

**Date: 7th June**

**Time: 1200**

Turian General Adanius seethed in rage as he looked over the ruins of the facility.

When the Primarch had called him in to that meeting two days ago, he never expected that they would suffer another devastating attack so soon.

"Sir, can I ask what this place was?" one of his subordinates asked, the General turned to glare at the soldier, who flinched under his gaze, "This was a top-secret Hierarchy laboratory, and that is all you need to know," he snarled.

"Sir, we found the survivor," the General heard, turning his head, he saw two more of his soldiers escorting another Turian towards him.

"What happened here?" he demanded. The other Turian was shaking, as he looked up at the General, who saw a haunted expression in his eyes.

"It…It was him…Reaper," he stuttered, Adanius' eyes widened at that. Behind him, he heard a few of his subordinates start to mumble to themselves.

_Him again…. How did he know about this place?... The existence of this place is one of our best kept secrets…only—That's it, we thought that the terrorist's only goal was to destroy the fortress…. But it's worse, who knows what other information he's stolen….. Who knows what else he could do._

He glared back at the traumatised Turian in front of him, "what exactly happened?" he asked dangerously.

The other Turian panted slightly, "I don't know, we had him surrounded…then he started speaking…next thing we knew… every cell door just opened and the slaves …every human slave just started attacking us….. It was a slaughter… I had to get out of there."

"So you fled while your fellow Turians died," Adanius said, in a scathing tone. The Turian didn't have a second to protest before the General pulled out his pistol and shot him through the head.

"That is the fate cowards deserve," he said, coldly, _and the last loose end that could expose us terminated._


	27. Chapter 27: Ceremony and Spectacle

A/N_: Italics_ indicate internal thought.

**Bold **indicates Reaper speech

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Ceremony and Spectacle**

* * *

**Location: Palaven, Hastatus Decurion**

**Date: 17****th**** June**

**Time: 1200**

On a typical day, the halls of the prestigious Hastatus Decurion academy would be bustling with activity. Hundreds of cadets would be attending lectures, undergoing physical training or live firearm practice.

Today however was not a typical day.

Today the halls of the Academy were empty and quiet. The reason for this was the large gathering of people in the open area behind the Academy. The people attending the graduation ceremony.

At the head of the ceremony was a platform where many of the Academy's instructors stood, in addition to several high-ranking members of the Turian Hierarchy, including Primarch Tactus himself. In front of the platform stood the graduates, several hundred Turian's all wearing crisp formal military uniforms. What made this graduation ceremony different from others, was the presence of fifty human graduates standing at attention in their formal Hierarchy dress-blues. Behind the assembled graduates, hundreds of chairs were positioned, where the families of the graduates, both human and Turian sat. Behind all of them, a lone figure leaned against a doorway of the main building, the shadow of the building covering him slightly.

As Shepard looked at the stage, he couldn't help but feel his insides churning due to his nerves. He wasn't sure he was ready to face his family again, or potentially just as bad, face her, but considering that he had been given an invitation to attend the ceremony he figured he couldn't cause any further damage by speaking to them.

As another of the instructors finished speaking at the podium on the platform, John cringed inwardly, _I know I was never one for ceremony, but this is ridiculous._

He was relieved when he saw that the next person to speak was the Primarch, realising that being the most important person here, he would in all likelihood be the last speaker.

"Hastatus Decurion has a long and rich history of producing many of the finest officers to ever serve the Hierarchy. Today marks another chapter in that history. For today, I see not only the future of the Turian Hierarchy before me. Years ago, a brutal war was caused by the humans and their naïve ignorance of the true dangers of the galaxy. The misguided actions of the young species led to a conflict in which many lives on both sides were lost. In the years following, the Citadel Council spared no effort to educate humanity of their mistake and integrate them into the wider galaxy. And today we take a great step towards a brighter future, as human cadets graduate from this prestigious academy. I believe this will strengthen the bond between our two species and pave the way for greater prosperity for both our peoples. For that, I thank you graduates."

The Primarch gave a Turian salute, which all the graduates and many of the attending guests returned.

Shepard could only scoff at the speech and its warped recounting of history.

_Well I guess I better find Liz….at the very least to tell her I showed up._

* * *

**000**

* * *

With the ceremony's conclusion, the guests and graduates began to mingle, striking up conversations with old friends, offering congratulations.

Elizabeth Shepard and Ashley Williams had finally been able to find Liz's parents and Ashley's mother in the crowd.

"We're so proud of you Elizabeth," Hannah said as she pulled her eldest daughter into a hug, "I know I gave you a lot of crap about enlisting initially Liz, but I'm so happy for you," James Shepard said, also hugging his daughter. Both of the elder Shepards were wearing their formal military uniforms.

"I just wish your father could be here to see this Ashley," Sophia Williams said as she embraced her own daughter, "Yeah it would've been a laugh to see him pass out from the shock," Ashley joked, causing her mother to chuckle.

"I just wish that your brothers and sisters could have come," said Hannah, "I wanted that too, but the Hierarchy was really stingy when it came to the guest list," Liz responded.

She paused for a second before looking back at her parents, "did John come with you? I know I was able to send him an invitation," Both parents looked away sadly, "I'm afraid we didn't see your brother," James said, "We haven't been able to see him since his…"

The all stopped talking as they took notice of a figure walking towards them. They could only stare as John came to stop in front of the group. Unlike everyone else attending the ceremony, who were dressed in formal military wear, John simply wore a set of combat fatigues with a black hoddie and looked very out of place.

Liz took a small step forward, "John…. you came," she said, slightly surprised.

"You sent me an invitation. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face you again…. I'm still not sure, but I figured I could come and congratulate you at the very least," he said, uneasily.

Liz sighed before speaking, "I know you suffered things I couldn't begin to understand, and I don't expect you to let it go easily, or even if you ever can," she looked him in the eye as a smile graced her features, "but for the moment, I'm just glad that you're no longer letting it consume your life like before," the siblings hugged each other.

Pulling away, Liz looked over his clothes, "seriously though…. couldn't you have dressed up a bit?" she asked in mock disapproval.

John merely shrugged with a small grin, "afraid I was never big on ceremony Liz," he responded.

"Well that's certainly true," Hannah cut in, "my word, during your medal ceremony it looked like you were about to storm out at any second," she laughed.

Liz looked at her brother with an amused expression, "Yeah another thing. Why are you coming to congratulate me mister 'Star of Terra'. I heard about what you did…. I'm proud of you, big bro."

"From what we've been told you pulled off some truly incredible feats," Hannah said proudly.

"Mum, you shouldn't buy every word the news report said, they tend to exaggerated a bit," John said slightly uncomfortable.

"Oh, I know they do." His mother said, "That's why I didn't ask the news. I asked David about it. He said the security footage he found was unbelievable. He said 'it was like watching you again during the first battle of Elysium Hannah"

James joined in, "he told us that only the son of the two craziest humans in the galaxy could pull off feats that insane," Liz burst out laughing at that.

She looked down slightly, "I tried to get permission to go to your award ceremony but…."

"It's fine," John said, waving off her apology.

"So, I hear you also got a promotion from it. Operations Chief now right?" she asked, her smirk returning.

John rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"You do know it would have been easy to get you into an officer's academy instead of regular boot camp John," James said.

John smiled, "I know dad, but you worked your way up from a grunt. You told me that you only became the soldier you were because of those early experiences. I wanted to do the same. But if it makes you feel any better, I received a nomination for N class training."

James clapped his son on the back, "congratulations John, I think you'd really take well to that."

John fell silent as his eyes finally met another member of the party; someone he hadn't seen in over two years. Ashley Williams.

Here appearance had matured slightly but she was still as beautiful as John remembered. He had conflicting feelings at the moment. Back when he was abducted, the idea of reuniting with her had been the one thing that kept him going, in addition to memories of his own family. He had initially been terrified for her when he had received the news that she was going to become part of project 're-forged sword'. And after his confrontation with Liz he had simply been too ashamed to try and reach out to her.

John wasn't an idiot. He knew after two years of no contact they couldn't just resume their relationship like nothing had happened, especially considering how much he had changed. Additionally, he wanted to make sure that no one he cared about was caught in the crossfire of his true mission, that included her.

_I'm sorry hellcat….. maybe in another life….. in a better galaxy…. we could've had a chance._

"It's…it's good to see you Ash," he said.

Ash smiled at him, "it's good to see you to farmboy."

John deflated slightly at his old nickname, "seriously Ash," she only laughed slightly in response, "what do you expect? When everyone asked me if I knew John Shepard, I tell them 'yeah I knew him back when he was a hopeless farmboy," she retorted.

"So….. are you doing ….. okay?" he asked, awkwardly. _You idiot, _he quickly voiced in his head.

"Haven't had to many problems," she joked before her face turned serious, "but seriously John, it's been two years, we're different people. And with how we are now…. I don't think…."

"It okay, I get it," John cut in, desperately hoping to put an end to this awkward conversation.

A moment of silence passed between everyone, before Hannah placed a hand on her son's shoulder.

"I didn't get a chance to ask you this before Jonathan," she said, "when you're celebrated as a hero, people tend to forget that you're still human, trust me I know this. Despite your victory at Elysium, it was a horrific experience. Are you okay?" She asked, her voice full of concern.

John took a deep sigh, "I'm not suffering any PTSD from the invasion…..but the truth is there's a lot of unanswered questions. Everyone's treating Elysium like it was a great victory, but everything I found told me that it was just the start of something else," he stated.

Liz looked down at her feet slightly, "I think you might actually be right John." She brought her voice down to a whisper, "I can't say much, but there's talk about a massive mobilisation towards the Terminus border."

"Well maybe-"

"Well, well, well, no wonder the alcohol taste so bad. Security must be enjoying the drinks too much if this disgusting ape was able to sneak his way in here," a loud obnoxious voice cut off whatever John was going to say.

Turning around the two families saw a group of half a dozen Turian graduates. The one who had spoken was easily identified as the leader of the group and was looking right at John with an arrogant sneer.

He came closer until he stopped merely inches from John's face, "I asked you a question human. How was a disgusting vagrant like you able to sneak into the festivities?" John's face twitched slightly as he caught the stench of alcohol on the Turian's breath, further reinforced by the half-full glass he still held in his hand.

"Back off Trakus," Liz cut in, pushing them both apart, "this is a family conversation. And to answer your question, he's my brother, I invited him."

"Your brother," Trakus gasped in mock surprise, he pushed Liz out of the way as he stepped closer to John again, "wait, I recognise you now. It is really hard to tell you apes apart, but it is hard to forget a face when every charity case they let into this esteemed Academy has been flashing it around for the past few weeks," he said, sarcastically.

He inched his own face closer to John's, "do you really think what you did is something to be celebrated? You cutting down a few thousand, barely trained, poorly equipped, thugs, makes you impressive? Though, I suppose for a species as pathetic as yours, you need to make yourselves look good any chance you get. Still in all honesty the attack on your colony just goes to show how much your Alliance depends on the mercy of the Hierarchy to protect it," he remarked scathingly.

John's fist clenched in anger as he met the Turian's gaze.

_**This wretch…..teach him that he…should be the one grovelling at our feet**_

_He isn't a slaver, he's just some drunk idiot._

_**He looks down on humanity just as the rest of his kind does…eliminate him now….before he becomes something in the future.**_

_No….I'm not gonna kill him just because he insulted me. He isn't worth it._

Shepard's expression turned stoic, "I think you've had too many drinks, this is a private conversation, so leave," he said, emotionlessly.

"Did you just order me to do something you filthy ape," Trakus attempted to shove the human in front of him, but John didn't move a millimetre.

"I'm not looking for trouble," John said, trying to diffuse the situation again.

"Well guess what?" Trakus sneered, "trouble just found you," he emptied his glass over Shepard's boots. John's arm trembled as he resisted the urge to deliver a right hook to this hinge-head's smug face.

"You really are trying to pick a fight, aren't you?" John said, stating the obvious.

Trakus gave a sinister chuckle, "it wouldn't be a fight human. It would be a massacre."

"Is everything all right here?" a stern voice asked, as Garrus Vakarian positioned himself between the two men.

"Nothing at all Sir," Trakus responded, his tone doing a complete flip, "I merely recognised Operations Chief Shepard from his exploits on Elysium, and asked if he'd be willing to have a friendly sparring match with me."

John raised an eyebrow at that, "forgive my ignorance of Turian customs, but you truly want to have sparring match in the middle of the ceremony?" John asked, genuinely confused.

"As hard as it is to believe John, Turian usually have sparring matches as part of social gatherings, Turian squad mates spar against each other during downtime as well. It comes with their militaristic culture, I'm guessing," Liz cut in to explain.

"While that is correct, I do not believe we should be having one at such an important ceremony as this," Garrus said.

"Come now Vakarian, surely you do not see any harm in a friendly match," another voice drew their attention, and the gathering looked to see Primarch Tactus himself approaching them.

Trakus and his entourage immediately saluted him. Garrus and Liz quickly followed.

"I just came here to congratulate my sister, nothing more," John said, coldly.

"You are addressing the leader of the Turian Hierarchy human. Show him the proper respect," one of the Primarch's guards barked.

_**Show this fool…..what we think of …his 'proper respect'**_

John ignored the presence and gave the guard a cold stare, "I'm not a Turian. He's not my leader," he responded simply, stepping forward.

"That is of course true, but a friendly competition between one of humanity's most capable soldiers," he gestured to John, "and one of the Hierarchy's most promising cadets, would help to show some comradery between our peoples."

The Primarch then leaned in closer to John and whispered in his ear, "this will also ensure nothing 'unfortunate' happens to your sister's position in the Hierarchy."

John gritted his teeth at the veiled threat.

_**Kill him…teach this powerless insect….what threatening your family warrants**_

_I kill him here and the Hierarchy will only take revenge on all of humanity, _Shepard internally responded.

"Fine," he muttered.

"Excellent," the Primarch responded.

A few minutes later both John and Trakus found themselves in one of the sparring rings used for training at the Academy. A considerable crowd had gathered around the edge, eagerly anticipating the match.

The Shepards and Williams were also there, although they were much more nervous than the rest of the spectators. Liz was desperately searching through the crowd trying to find a specific person, eventually she saw him standing near the Primarch.

"Instructor Saren," she called out to him, catching his attention, "please sir, you got put a stop to this now."

"Don't worry Shepard, I will be sure to step in if it looks like he's going to suffer a serious injury," Saren tried to calm her.

"Sir, I'm not specifically worried about my brother getting hurt," she replied, trying to hide her worry.

"That's good," Saren responded, "because I wasn't referring to your brother."

In the ring John was not enjoying this at all. This entire situation was bringing up bad memories for him. He scrunched his eyes shut as images began to flash through his mind.

_He slammed his fists into the chest of fallen Batarian until he was no longer breathing._

_He drove a sword through the chest of an Asari_

"_BLOOD BRAWL! BLOOD BRAWL! BLOOD BRAWL!"_

"Come on human," John opened his eyes to look at Trakus, "I want you to show me what you've got," the Turian then gave a slight chuckle, "of course I really know the answer to that," he looked John in the eye, "nothing."

Shepard just glared at the idiot, "final warning. Call this fight off now," he growled.

Trakus just gave him a sadistic grin, he lowered his voice so that only John could hear him "you know I will admit for a human, your sister is a real find piece of meat. And I'd really like to have a taste of her. Maybe we'll do just that when she is under my command."

John eyes narrowed and his body tensed, _you just crossed the line asshole._

A klaxon sounded, announcing the beginning of the fight. A second later John shot forward. Slightly shocked by his opponent's speed, Trakus threw a right hook at the human. To John, it look like the Turian was moving in slow motion, he ducked under the punch and delivered a powerful uppercut under Trakus' chin. The blow lifted him off the ground slightly but moving fast, John grabbed the Turian's head and slammed him into the ground.

The crowd was completely silent. The Primarch scowled at what transpired, while Saren stroked his chin, curiously. Liz breathed a sigh of relief, thankful her brother hadn't gone too far.

_Idiots lucky I didn't crush his head like a grape, _he thought looking down at the groaning form of Trakus.

_**What's wrong with you John….. he's still alive.**_

_Shut up, like I said his just an arrogant moron, he's not worth killing_

"We done?" he asked sarcastically, looking up at the crowd.

It was then that six Turians made their way through the crowd and leapt into the ring and surrounded him. John quickly recognise them as the Turians who were accompanying Trakus earlier.

He raised an eyebrow, "really?" he asked.

"You really think we're gonna let you get away with this, you fucking ape," one of them said to him.

John couldn't stop himself from tensing in anger as several members of the crowd roared in support of the graduates' actions. Liz turned back to Saren in panic, "please sir, stop this before somebody gets hurt," she begged.

"My apologies Shepard, but I believe this will be an important learning experience," he responded.

"Learning experience?!" she exclaimed, exasperated.

"Yes," Saren responded, turning to look at her, "they will learn not to underestimate what humans are capable of."

John just shook his head slightly, realising there wasn't any way to avoid this, he looked directly at the Primarch, "I think you should make up some beds in the infirmary," he called out.

The six surrounding him charged. He grabbed the one in front of him by his collar, and delivered a rapid trio of punches into his face, sending him falling to the ground unconscious, with blue blood pouring down his mandibles. Another Turian grabbed him from behind, while a third came at him on his right. John delivered a jab into the throat of the Turian in front of him, sending him to the ground gasping for breath. Next, he Judo flipped the Turian that had grabbed him, then curb stomped him in the face, knocking him out.

He side kicked a fourth Turian, sending him onto his back spitting up blood. He delivered a powerful judo chop to the shoulder of a fifth. A noticeable crack was heard and the unfortunate soul fell to the ground screaming. The last Turian present charged at him but John clotheslined him, knocking him out.

John took a moment to survey the unconscious and groaning Turians before him. Suddenly he heard noise behind him and turned around to see Trakus struggling back to his feet. A smug grin formed on Shepard's face, "your friends…. they were showing me what they got," John paused for a second as Trakus looked at him with unbridled rage, "Nothing," Shepard finished, mockingly.

Trakus pulled out a combat knife, "you are fucking dead," he sneered and lunged at the human.

"John!" he heard Liz call out in fear.

Without showing a single trace of concern, John simply ducked under Trakus' lunge, letting the Turian go past him, "nice swing, very smooth," John mocked.

Trakus roared in anger and swung his knife at Shepard again. John leaned back lazily to avoid it, "missed," John taunted. Trakus swung his knife again, "missed again," Shepard said after dodging the second attack.

Trakus yelled and swung his knife downwards. John's hand shot out and grabbed the knife hand. With a quick twist he snapped the Turian's wrist and grabbed the knife. John then delivered a spinning heel kick to Trakus' face, knocking him to the ground.

Trakus lay on his back, spitting up blood. John stood over him and pinned him to the ground with his foot. He flipped the knife over in his hands a few times, looking into the fear filled eyes of the Turian.

_**His arrogance….his delusional self entitlement…..that is what makes his species believe they have the right to enslave yours…. teach him Jonathan….teach him what he has a right to…**_

_These vermin they think we should be slaves because that's all we're good for. But we can be more…. We can be more than they ever were. He thought he was better than me just because I'm a human._

_I should….. I should teach him how mistaken he was, _

_**yes Jonathan… Do it…..show them all.**_

Without a second thought John brought the knife down towards Trakus' head. The Turian screamed and scrunched his eyes shut.

After a few moments Trakus realise he was still alive and opened his eyes... the knife was stuck in the ground, the blade an inch away from his throat. Shepard leaned down until their faces were inches apart, "try that shit again….and I will remove what makes you male," John growled.

John stood back up and quickly threw the knife to the edge of the ring. He turned around and was about to storm off but then he heard the sound of clapping behind him.

Turning around he saw that Saren was standing in the ring, "very impressive Shepard. Although I have no doubt that such opponents were easy for someone with your experience," the instructor complemented.

"All right cadets," Saren said, addressing the crowd," what is the lesson to take away from this?" The audience broke into a large amount of grumbling at the question. "Do not underestimate humans in a fight. Especially do not discount them on the simple fact of 'they are humans', that type of thinking is going to get you killed."

Saren then walked over to Trakus still groaning on the ground. He kneeled down and grabbed the younger Turian by the throat, "I heard what you said you piece of shit, if you ever say anything like that about one of your fellow cadets, I will personally see that you spend the rest of your sad career stationed on the worst planet I can find. No matter what your family standing is," he growled.

Trakus promptly made his way to the infirmary while the rest of his friends did the same, supporting some of the more injured ones.

Saren turned back to John, "well now that they are out of the way. Perhaps I could interest you in fighting an opponent more your calibre."

John scowled at him, "I'm pretty sure this has been made into a big enough spectacle already, and I am done with it," he growled, before starting to walk away.

Saren gave a light chuckle, "you have the same fire as your sister," he mumbled under his breath before addressing John again directly, "unlike the arrogant morons who you just beat to a pulp, I truly recognise the victory you helped achieve on Elysium, there are very few in the galaxy who could hold off an entire invasion force single-handedly, then lead a successful counter-attack with only four soldiers. I confess I am simply curious about the kind of person who could accomplish that, especially for one as young as yourself."

Saren then folded his arms as he continued to gaze at John's still retreating form, "Of course, knowing the place where you gained most of your fighting experience," John froze at that, "even back then you were pulling off impossible victories weren't you…..Blood Brawl," Saren finished.

Shocked murmurs began to run through the watching crowd.

_**He dares to make a light…..of the horror….you endured.**_

John turned around, a look of fury etched on his face and started to make his way back towards the instructor, "that part of my life is behind me," he growled, "and I'm trying to make up for it."

"Indeed, I am truly sorry you were ever made to participate in such a barbaric and revolting activity," John told himself that the Turian's sincerity was false, "still you gained quite the repetition for fatalities, didn't you?"

John swung a right hook at Saren, who raised his left, prosthetic arm to block the strike. Saren delivered a right hook to Shepard's jaw and then kicked him in the chest, causing him to stagger back. John regained his footing and looked back at Saren.

He growled in frustration, in his anger he partially lashed out with his enhanced strength. He was extremely lucky for Saren's prosthetic left arm, it had been able to hide the true strength of his blow. He had to be careful, he couldn't risk exposing himself here. He took a deep breath and charged again.

He threw a punch with his right hand, which Saren easily caught, he tried the same with his left fist but the same thing happened. Thinking quickly, he proceeded to head-butt Saren, his opponent stumble back slightly dazed, and Shepard took advantage of the opportunity. He tried to sweep kick the Turian, but Saren recovered quickly and jump flipped over Shepard. As John turned around Saren kneed him in the stomach and delivered an upper cut into the human's chin, sending him onto his back.

Shepard quickly flipped back to his feet and rubbed his jaw. _Those hits hurt quite a bit, I know my powers increased my strength and reflexes but I've got to remember that it doesn't make me invincible or immune to pain. _

_I've got to remember who I'm fighting; this is the number one Spectre in the galaxy, a lot stronger than the regular grunts I fight, I've got to be more careful._

Saren swung a left hook at John, he successfully blocked it, but once again only by using his own enhanced strength to withstand the force of the robotic limb_. _John tried to deliver a kick into Saren's knee, but he quickly tensed the muscles in his legs and positioned it so John kicked him in the thigh. It did much less damage but it still caused Saren to sag slightly, John quickly followed up with a punch to his chest, forcing him back.

Seeing him push the Spectre back, John quickly re-assessed the situation.

Deciding to end this John charged forward, he ducked under Saren's punch, then jumped and gripped his legs around Saren's waist in a scissor lock and pulled him to the ground.

Shepard stood poised above the Turian; his fist raised. After a few moments he stood back up, "if you want me to fight you, don't hold back against me," he said coldly. Saren proceeded to laugh and also stood back up, "you are truly impressive kid, where the hell were you when they were finding volunteers for the re-forged sword program?" he asked rhetorically.

John's eyes flashed red, though thankfully nobody saw, "two things," he said with barely restrained anger, "one. I will never fight for you honourless, cowards. Two. To answer your question, beating others to a bloodied pulp so sick freaks could get their kicks."

John quickly started to make his way out of the ring, he spared a glance back at Liz and Ashley, they looked both relieved and slightly shocked. John released a deep sigh.

_Liz I really hope you can make your dreams of showing how humanity can help the galaxy a reality, but maybe…..maybe I should keep away from you…..I've already been too scarred by the darkness of this galaxy. Somebody like me…. I would just be poison to you and all you want to achieve_

John quickly made his way off the Academy grounds.

Saren observed the human's retreating form. As he did another Turian came up, "why did you need to make a further spectacle of that?" Nihlus said.

"I needed to get an idea of what kind of person he was. Afterall he is the one she told us about," Saren responded.

"Yes he is," Nihlus nodded solemnly, "but she says there is still no definite answer to what path he will choose,"

Both Turians looked back at the retreating human.


	28. Chapter 28: Sending a Message

A/N_: Italics_ indicate internal thought.

**Bold **indicates Reaper speech

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Sending a Message**

* * *

**Location: Earth, Vila Militar, Rio de Janeiro**

**Date: 28****th**** June**

**Time: 0030**

John was slouched in a chair. It had been just under two weeks since he'd arrived at the infamous 'Vila Militar' and stared the brutal N7 training regime. The rest of his class were in their beds, passed out from exhaustion from the twenty hours of intense training they had undergone the day before.

However, John just sat in the common area barely showing any signs of fatigue.

He let out a deep sigh. During the first training session, the drill sergeant had called him out in front of the entire class, belittling his accomplishments on Elysium, mocking him and essentially doing everything else in his job description.

That wasn't what was troubling Shepard. He knew this place produced the greatest human soldiers, and that was only because they were pushed the hardest.

What troubled him was what he saw in the other hopefuls.

_They spend every day….. pushing themselves beyond human limits…. pushing themselves to be better with every fibre of their being…..and I'm just breezing through this whole thing._

The training had only just started and it was already evident that John was a peg above the others. He barely seemed to show any exhaustion, he always scored the highest in the combat tests. He was already setting records, but John knew that was because he was different from the others, and he couldn't help feeling guilty about it.

_Come on my parents both went through this…and they didn't have any powers._

John was roused from his musings when his omni-tool flashed. He was receiving a message…on the ghost bandwidth.

"Shepard we've got a situation," Miranda's voice was laced with concern.

"What is it Miranda?" he asked.

"One of our probes detected several slaver ships. Their movements have them heading towards the colony of Canaan," she replied.

"The probes work as we designed them to then," he said, grinning at the small triumph. His face turned grim as he realised that Miranda was not her usual collected self, "what aren't you telling me Miranda?" he asked.

"I'm afraid it wasn't one of the early warning probes that detected them, it was a closer one. They will be entering the system very soon," she responded, her tone grim.

"What?" Shepard almost yelled, realising his error he quickly glanced round to make sure he hadn't alerted anyone, "how did this happen? How did they get so close without any of the early warning probes detecting them?"

"The most likely scenario is that the slavers didn't enter human territory directly from the Terminus systems. I believe they must have taken a detour….. through Turian space."

"Dammit," John growled under his breath, "how quickly can we send forces to intercept?"

"They're already too close John. We won't be able to intercept them before they reach the colony," Miranda replied.

_We can't stop them from attacking the colony….. We can't save them….._

_**What did you think would happen John…that you could be the hero again and swoop in, **_Shepard looked up to see the face of Reaper reflected in the window, _**it is as I said Jonathan…..this galaxy does not need heroes…..it needs MONSTERS!**_

_**Monsters to burn away this corruption….and the civilisations infested with it.**_

John clenched his fists, Miranda could hear his seething through her omni-tool, "John get your head together."

She was met with silence, sighing she explained, "we always knew the probes weren't a full proof solution John. Even if we know about every slaver attack before it commences, sending forces to stop them before they've attacked is impossible. Even with our new advanced ships."

Miranda paused for a second, "But that shouldn't matter," she continued with a powerful resolve, "We knew that this would be an uphill battle. So maybe we can't save every single person. We should try our damn hardest to save everyone that we can," Shepard's eyes widened in realisation at Miranda's statement.

_She's…she's right. Untold human lives have already been lost…. and more…more will be lost before this ends. But I can't let that weaken my resolve… if we stop then no one will be saved._

"The Normandy is the fastest ship in the galaxy, we're on our way to pick you up, then we will head for Canaan," She said.

"Got it Miranda," he paused for second before saying, "and Miranda…. Thanks."

"Don't mention John," she said with a light chuckle, "keeping you on track is what I'm here for."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Normandy, Canaan orbit.**

**Date: 28****th**** June**

John stood wearing a skin-tight black shirt and leggings, in front of a platform made up of several panels. Suddenly the panels began to move and several machines rose out of the floor.

The first thing to appear was several robotic arms supporting the boots of Shepard's armour. They opened up and he stepped into them. More robotic arms rose out of the ground carrying other pieces of his armour, they fitted the parts covering his shins and thighs, connecting the components of the suit together while they did. Two more arms rose up, each holding one of his clawed gauntlets. John stuck his arms out slipping, his hands into each of them, as the arms fitted them, he flexed his fingers and activated the claws experimentally. As the arms began to fit the upper arm components of the suit, the back and torso parts of the suit were brought up and fitted. When the two components were connected the circle in the centre of the chest began to glow a deep electric red. One last arm reached up from behind him and placed the skull painted helmet on his head. For the final touch Shepard raised his arms as his sleeveless hooded black trench coat was put on him. John raised the hood over his head, the eyes glowing red beneath it.

Shepard made his way to the cargo bay door, "boss, we've entered the atmosphere. We're just over the colony now," Joker said over the intercom.

"**Good Joker. Tell Kaidan to take a boarding party to the slaver ship in orbit. Orders are to kill any crew, rescue any prisoners and seize any data."**

"Roger that," Joker confirmed, "hey why aren't you heading towards the shuttles?"

"**No time for that Jeff. Open the cargo bay doors." **

"Seriously?!" Joker asked, incredulously.

"**I'm going for shock factor again. Tell the rest of the troops I'll meet them on the ground."**

Shepard made his way to the end of the cargo bay, as the doors opened. He stood at the end of the ramp, the unrelenting gale blowing against him, and he dived off.

John felt the wind rush past him as he descended. His HUD locked onto to the ideal landing site and the jump jets in his boots activated to put him on the right trajectory.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Canaan was a prime demonstration of the negative effects that the Citadel's trade restrictions had on humanity. Unable to afford the transportation of more modern materials, the colonists resorted to building their homes out of bricks and cement and other out of date construction methods. Overall it gave the appearance of a town from a century before humanity had become spacefaring.

Of course now, much of the colony lay in ruins.

Dozens of humans ran through a street of ruined and crumbling buildings, screaming in fear and panic. Several miles away, several loud explosions could be heard as the slavers used rocket launchers to demolish buildings.

In a small plaza, a large Batarian broke down the door, let off a few rounds with his assault rifle and then proceeded to drag a screaming young woman out of the building.

A few feet away a couple of Turians destroyed a door with a grenade, before forcing out the three humans taking shelter inside.

The slavers had gathered the captured humans in the centre of the plaza, where a gnarly Batarian was directing the other slavers, "Get any able-bodied ones over there!" he barked, gesturing to a nearby wall.

The invaders began forcibly separating their captives into two groups. The younger and healthier ones were forced away from the young children and elderly.

In the mists of the chaos a young man clung tightly to his wife, son and daughter as the slavers slowly walked amongst the captives. A Turian noticing this, slammed the butt of his rifle into the back of the man's head knocking him to the ground.

The Turian grabbed the human by the scruff of his neck and began to drag him away, meanwhile a Krogan began pushing the three remaining members of his family towards the other group.

The boy, no more than seven, ducked under the Krogan's arm and ran towards his father. In desperation, the man broke free of the Turian's hold on him and ran towards his son. The boy latched onto his father crying, while his father, with tears also streaming down his face, tried to pry his son off him and begged him to go with his mother and sister.

"What the fuck is this?!" The lead Batarian roared, walking up to the two. He yanked the boy away and threw him to the ground. He then delivered a right hook to the man's face, sending him face first into the dirt. The Batarian then unleashed a flurry of kicks into the downed man's chest, yelling profanities while he did so. He turned to the Turian, "shoot this ape!" he yelled.

The Turian pulled the man into a kneeling position and aimed his rifle at his head. Behind him his wife and two children began crying and pleading, praying to any deity that existed for something to save them.

None of them expected their prayers to be answered.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the sound of what seemed to be jet engines coming from the air. The Turian holding the man at gunpoint look directly up…..

Just in time to see the metal behemoth crash right on top of him.

Everyone present, colonist and slave, stared at the figure kneeling in the middle of a small impact crater, still standing on the pulverised remains of the Turian. They all recognised the figure.

The one they called Reaper.

Reaper merely stared at all of them, one Batarian decided to open fire, but the shots did nothing to him. Reaper responded by delivering a punch which sent the slaver flying and smashing into a wall. The black armoured figure then swung out with his claws, slicing the throat of a nearby Turian. He back handed another Batarian with enough force to send him smashing into a wall leaving a bloody smear.

A Krogan then roared and charged at him, in response Reaper remained completely motionless, but when the Krogan got close enough, he delivered right hook with such speed that hardly anybody could keep track of his movement. The blow caved in the Krogan's skull and pulverised his brain matter. The body fell limply to the side.

At this point the remaining slavers had regained their senses and all began to open fire on him, but a red barrier neutralised the shots. Reaper drew one of his guns and fired off two shots to his right, hitting a couple of slavers, and sending the bodies crashing against a nearby wall. He pulled out his other weapon, spun round and gunned down three more attackers. Reaper quickly turned again to face the remaining four, he aimed both his guns and let loose a barrage quickly cutting them down.

He lowered his weapons for a second, _I counted two more slavers, _he thought.

"Don't move!" He heard a voice shout out from behind him. Turning, Reaper saw that one of the surviving slavers had grabbed a young woman and was using her as a human shield while pointing his pistol to her head. It wasn't this act of cowardice that made him seethe in anger though, it was the fact this slaver was human.

"You're gonna let me go, all right, or I'll kill this bitch!" the slaver yelled.

Reaper holstered both his weapons, keeping his gaze fixed on the hostage taker, then he slowly began to walk forward.

"Didn't you hear what I said. I'll… I'll kill her!" The slaver tried to shout but his voice became shaky and sweat began to pour down his face, the red glare of the monster in front of him striking terror into his entire being. Reaper merely continued to walk forward slowly.

"St…stay…..stay away from me!" in a panic, the slaver aimed his gun at Reaper and opened fire. The high velocity slugs bounced harmlessly off the skull themed helmet. Reaper's hand shot out and grabbed the slaver's hand, still holding his gun, and squeezed. The man screamed as his fingers were crushed, and shards of bone burst through his flesh. The woman he was using as a hostage quickly pulled away from him.

Reaper glared into the tear stained eyes of the human slaver.

"**Traitor," **he said simply. He raised his other hand and grabbed the slaver by his face. The man screamed as red energy surged around him and his body withered.

A deafening silence washed over the area as all the rescued colonists simply stared at their saviour. Until the young boy from before ran over to his father. Both of them hugged each other tightly.

Hiding behind a partially damaged wall the lead Batarian was in the process of hyperventilating, he had just seen all of his men cut down like nothing. He quickly activated his omni-tool. But his call was interrupted as a metal gauntlet punch through the wall a few inches to his right. His shocked expression only lasted until the arm reached around and pulled him through the wall.

Reaper threw the last slaver at the feet of the colonists, before proceeding to walk away, **"he's all yours,"**

The Batarian could only scream as the last thing he saw was one of the colonists with a metal bar raised above his head.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Meanwhile, the slaver frigate remained just outside the planet's orbit, completely unaware of what was happening to their comrades on the surface.

"What's the status of our acquisitions?" the ship's captain, another Batarian asked his Salarian communications officer.

"They've set up a landing site and are ready to start sending them up to the ship. However, we seem to have lost contact with some of them in the outskirts of the colony."

The Batarian grunted, "piece of shit comms…." he mumbled to himself, "tell them to hurry the fuck up, we've got a narrow window here."

Before the message could be relayed, several explosions rocked the hull of the ship, many of the crew members were knocked to the ground by the force.

"What the hell just happened?!" The captain roared.

A Turian looked at a screen, "enemy fire. Several shots impacted the hull….. but…but our systems aren't detecting an enemy ship," he said, in a tone that grew increasingly more worried.

"Shit, what's the damage?" the captain asked.

After looking back at the screen for a few seconds the Turian responded, "severe damage to the thrusters, we can't get the ship moving."

* * *

**000**

* * *

A few miles away from the Slaver ship, the Normandy hovered, completely invisible.

Three small cylindrical objects, about the same size as KODIAK shuttles, jettisoned from the larger ship. Thrusters on one end of the cylinders activated, propelling them towards the slave ship, as they got closer several rings of serrated teeth on the other end of the cylinders, began to rapidly rotate.

They impacted the side of the ship where the teeth proceeded to tunnel through the hull. As the head of the boarding craft emerged inside the ship, several devices on the outside dispensed some kind of gel to create a vacuum seal. Within the teeth rings was an iris door.

It opened as three figures stepped out.

All three were wearing armour similar to Reaper, but they lacked the spikes, hooded coat and painted skull face. The armour was also primarily metallic blue with silver colouring on the thighs and upper arms and the glowing circles in the centre of their chests, were light blue instead of red.

Two figures were holding assault rifles, while the third, who had more of a navy-blue coloured armour, was holding a submachine-gun and what seem to be a katana sheathed on his back.

The other two boarding pods likewise opened, and six more armoured figures with assault rifles stepped out.

The faceplate of the sword carrying figure opened up to reveal Kaidan Alenko. He addressed the members of the assembled squad, "all right, four of you secure the engine room and deactivate the drive core. The rest secure the cargo bay, check for any prisoners. I'll take the CIC."

"Are you sure you can take it by yourself sir?" one of the soldiers asked.

Kaidan grinned, "any one of us could take the CIC by themselves," with that the squad split up, heading towards their targets.

Kaidan headed towards the CIC, as he turned a corner, he saw two crewmembers, a Batarian and a Turian. They both jumped in shock at seeing him and made to grab their weapons. Without stopping he fired two bursts with his submachine-gun, he gunned them down but he heard the footsteps of others headed towards his location.

As he continued his walk, a Batarian emerged in the hallway behind him, he slowly began to walk up behind Kaidan, hoping to catch him by surprise. Kaidan reached up with his right hand and gripped the hilt of the high-frequency blade on its back and unsheathed it a few millimetres, the blade began to let out a quiet humming as he did so.

Once the Batarian was close enough, Kaidan quickly spun around and fully unsheathed his sword. In one rapid slash, he sliced right through the armour and chest of the Batarian, who could only stand there shocked, before choking on his own blood.

As the body began to fall a Turian ran into the hallway. Seeing the situation, he tried to pull out his pistol, but Kaidan was faster. In one swipe he severed the Turian's gun arm, and as he held his severed limbs screaming in pain, Kaidan fired a burst into his head to put him out of his misery.

Finally reaching the door to the CIC, Kaidan was promptly forced take cover in an adjoining hallway as a squad of six slavers opened fire on him. As he waited for the barrage to subside Kaidan looked down at his sword as it became enveloped in an ethereal blue energy. Once the assembled slavers stopped firing, Kaidan leapt out of cover and slashed the air with his now glowing sword.

The slash released a wave of blue energy that flew down the hallway towards the enemy squad. It exploded in a sphere of blue energy which had the unexpected effect of making the slavers float around helplessly.

Kaidan quickly ran forward brandishing his sword, with several rapid slashes, he sliced through the floating forms as he ran past. He stopped after emerging behind the squad and turned around to watch as the biotic energy vanished and the six bodies fell to the ground, blood beginning to pour out of the deep lacerations.

He looked down at his sword for a minute,_ this thing is really growing on me, _he thought before turning his attention back to the door.

In the CIC the captain was about to lose his mind. On the screen in front of him was one of his subordinates down in the cargo bay, "were getting slaughtered here! we need help now!" the unfortunate Turian shouted before being gunned down in a hail of high velocity slugs and the line went dead.

The captain slammed his fist into the consul, "damn it, we were promised no interference from the Alliance!" he roared.

"I don't think this is the Alliance," one of his crewmates responded, "this looks like-"

They were cut off as they saw what appeared to be a sword slicing through the door to the CIC. The Batarian would have laughed at how ridiculous that was, if it were not for the fact that the blade was somehow slicing through the metal door as if it were paper.

As the door crumbled like cardboard, the armoured figure of Kaidan stepped through and gave the four individuals a once over. The four slavers had no time to react as he gunned three of them down with quick bursts from his submachine-gun. Kaidan turned his aim on the captain but his weapon ejected its thermal clip.

Seeing the opportunity, the captain tried to draw his weapon. Kaidan holstered his gun, grabbed his sword with both hands and held it outwards. He then activated a biotic charge.

He reappeared behind the captain in a flash of blue, his sword still outwards. For a few moments neither of them moved until Kaidan stood back up and began to re-sheath his sword. Just as he finished a thin cut began to appear along the throat of the Batarian and blood began to drip from it. Next the head completely detached from the neck and fell to the ground with a thud, the decapitated body following soon after.

Kaidan activated his omni-tool, "CIC secured. Team one and team two what is your status?"

"This is team one, drive core secured."

"This is team two, cargo bay also secured, no sign of any prisoners."

"Alright contact the Normandy to send a shuttle for us," Kaidan approached the main computer in the CIC, "EDI, see if there's anything useful here."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**[BGM start: 'Citizen Soldier' by three doors down]**

A group of slavers had cornered another large group of colonists in another part of the town. Most of them were being kept in line at gunpoint, but a Turian was in the process of trying to tear a young girl from her mother. The Turian gave a powerful kick to the woman's face knocking her to the ground and forcing her to let go. She began to sob on the ground until the imposing figure of Reaper walked past her, making a beeline for the Turian.

The slaver was so shocked by the infamous terrorist's sudden appearance that he let go of the girl's arm, she promptly ran past Reaper to embrace her mother. The Turian tried to draw his weapon but Reaper pulled out one of his own guns and shot the slaver straight in the chest. At this point the other slavers finally realised what was happening and about two dozen assault rifles were aimed at the armoured figure.

Gunshots rang out. Several of the slavers fell to the ground, as more than a dozen humans wearing similar armour to Reaper began to fire on the invaders from the top of several nearby buildings. The remaining slavers tried to return fire, but their weapons were ineffectual and it wasn't long before they were all cut down.

The armoured humans jumped down to the ground, the squad leader approached Reaper, "all squads have landed sir, we've already received reports that the scum are all falling back."

"**Excellent. Leave three men to take these people to the safe zone we've designated. The rest of you, keep driving these vermin back!"**

"yes sir!" all the soldiers echoed.

Reaper continued his trek, two soldiers accompanied him, while the rest disbanded. It wasn't long before they encountered more slavers, who were in full retreat. Reaper continued to walk forward at a steady pace shrugging off the barrage of high velocity slugs hitting his armour like rain. He gripped both his weapons and began his own onslaught of return fire. Two Batarians fell with burning holes in their chests, a Turian was taken down with a headshot, a Vorcha had two red bolts go through his chest and many other slavers suffered similar fates. The two soldiers accompanying Reaper also opened fire, gunning down several of the fleeing slavers themselves.

Suddenly all three humans were engulfed in a massive explosion, sending up a huge amount of dust and completely obscuring them, courtesy of a slaver tank moving down the street. It paused, hoping to confirm the kill but as the dust cleared it revealed a red barrier encompassing the three humans. The two soldiers staring at the power of Reaper's barrier in awe.

Reaper aimed one of his guns of the tank and charged up a shot. A glowing red sphere went flying towards the tank, obliterating it in a large explosion.

This scene was repeating all around the colony. More armoured figures were appearing, rescuing the colonists and driving the slavers back. The slavers tried to return fire but found it a futile gesture against the armoured monsters.

**[BGM end]**

* * *

**000**

* * *

Barley an hour later, Reaper was standing in front of twenty slavers. They were all kneeling on the ground with their hands behind their heads. The burning remained of their shuttles nearby, courtesy of a Normandy airstrike.

Kaidan, who had come down to the colony, approached the black hooded figure. "Hey Reaper, heard you had things pretty easy down here," he said.

Reaper turned to him, **"first sign of heavier resistance, they tried to run. How'd things go your end? Everything okay?"**

"Boarding pods worked perfectly, and no problems arose from the Ironman suits."

"**They worked great on the ground too. It may take a while to train soldiers to properly use the suits, but it is definitely worth it."**

Kaidan then drew his sword and gave it a few practice swings, "also, this thing was amazing, you did an incredible job with it," he said as he re-sheathed it.

"**Did you find any useful intel from the ship?" **Reaper asked.

"No," Kaidan responded with a small scowl, "someone just sent them a designated time when they would be able to attack the colony with no Alliance or Hierarchy interference."

Reaper clenched his first, **"we should have expected that we wouldn't get anything useful from low-level thugs like them."**

"Still we succeeded, we saved the colony," Kaidan said, with a slightly more upbeat tone, **"not enough of it Kaidan,"** Reaper responded looking at the bodies of several colonists, victims of the initial slavers attack.

"**It's not enough to fight them off, we need to discourage them from attacking. We need to make them scared," **his red eyes turned to the surrendered slavers.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Just as it had over three weeks previously, all over the galaxy everyone found their screens, personal and public being co-opted. The image reappeared to show the terrifying form of Reaper once again, this time staring directly at the camera. Behind him were a dozen other figures wearing similar armour, one in particular was wielding what looked like a sword. They were all standing over the forms of several kneeling aliens.

"**This colony was attacked, we came to this colony's aid and annihilated these vermin," **Reaper stated in a calm tone before pausing for a second.

"**My question is, why did you attack these people? They have never harmed anyone. The answer: because all of you other species see us as weak and inferior. You think you can simply take what you want from us, our friends, our families, our identities and there will be no consequence for you," **he paused again.

"**That may have been true once, but that is no longer the case. So, allow me to deliver this message. If you attack human worlds this is all that will await you vermin."**

At those words the other humans began to brutally execute the captured slavers. Two humans brutally ripped off a Batarian's arms. Another was knocked to the ground and his head crushed under a metal boot. A Turian's head was crushed by the metallic gauntlets of another armoured human. The human armed with a sword bisected a Salarian in a single stroke. They rest of the prisoners were executed in similarly brutal fashions. Reaper gave one last look into the camera before the broadcast ended.


	29. Chapter 29: Sparks of Resistance

A/N_: Italics_ indicate internal thought.

**Bold **indicates Reaper speech

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

* * *

**Sparks of Resistance**

* * *

**Location: Cipritene, Palaven**

**Date: 6****th**** July**

**Time: 2000**

Inside a typical Turian apartment, a female human was thrown against a wall and collapsed to the ground sobbing. Her Turian owner stood over her scowling.

"You expect me to eat this shit, useless bitch!" He roared.

"Master….. Please I made it exactly as you asked," the woman pleaded, the Turian promptly delivered kick into her stomach.

"Don't talk back to me you filth! Looks like I need to teach you some more manners!" he roared again.

"No master…..please…. I'll do better…." she pleaded.

As the Turian pulled his arm back, he suddenly felt something metallic clamp around his hand. He swung round, directly into the faceplate of an ironman suit. The Turian didn't have time to cry out before the human's other hand clamped around his jaw. His attacker then proceeded to crush the bones in his hand, his cries muffled.

As the Turian fell to the ground he noticed another armoured human walk over to his slave and help her to her feet. The one that had injured him now had a pistol trained on his face.

"It's okay, we can take you somewhere safe," the one supporting the woman said.

"Please…please don't kill me," the Turian begged, the human delivered a metal heel into the Turian's face, "shut the fuck up hinge head!" he yelled.

"He's not going to kill you," the human woman said slowly as she walked towards the person who had tortured her for years. The Turian gave a small smile, thinking she would save him in her broken state.

The woman looked to the human holding the gun, "I'm going to kill him," she said, her voice still shaky. The Turian's expression turned to one of horror. The two armoured figures looked at each other for a second. The second one nodded and the one holding the gun offered it to the slave.

She shakily took hold of the pistol and turned to the Turian with a look of pure fury, "Please wait, if you help me I'll get you your freedom," he pathetically tried to bargain.

"Burn in hell you bastard!" She yelled. She fired until the thermal clip ejected.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cipritene, Palaven**

**Date: 10****th**** July**

**Time: 1830**

In another household the bloodied corpse of a male Turian was dropped to the ground by another figure wearing an ironman suit, this time without a helmet. He stepped over the body towards a female Turian who was desperately trying to crawl backwards away from him.

"Please….please, I never wanted to do it, I swear he made me hurt you…" her cries were cut off as the figure gripped her by the throat, "this is for all the pain you caused me you Turian bitch!"

She could only scream as a knife was brought down again and again.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Murantia, Palaven**

**Date: 12****th**** July**

**Time: 1300**

As the slave trade had grown throughout the galaxy, many of the other species had recognised the profitability of the venture. As a consequence, slave auction houses could usually be found in major cities across the galaxy. Where citizens could purchase a human without having to travel to places like the Citadel or to Batarian space.

However, the people who had decided to set up an auction house in the city of Murantia were now regretting that choice.

Reaper thrust his hand forward, his claws skewering a Turian. He threw the body into a wall before drawing his guns and killing a couple of the auction houses guards.

Three more human soldiers were with him, they gunned down all the Turians working at the auction house, whether they were guards or 'salesmen'.

After easily dispatching all the slavers they quickly loaded the few human slaves they had rescued from the auction house into several of the KODIAK stealth shuttles parked in the streets.

Reaper was the last to leave, he stood in the doorway and generated one of his red energy spheres. He threw it into the building and quickly boarded the shuttle. A few moments later, the building was levelled by an explosion.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Cipritene, Palaven**

**Date: 13****th**** July**

**Time: 1000**

Primarch Tactus slammed his fist on the table, "SPIRITS DAMN THEM!" he roared.

After taking a minute to collect himself Tactus turned back to the assembled Turians, "what is the total number of incidents?" he asked.

One of the Turians held up a data pad, "currently over three-hundred Primarch, and dozens more every day. Every time it's the same scenario: With Cerberus assistance the slave kills the master and then escapes undetected."

Another of the Turians spoke, "we've been able to keep most of these incidents secret. If the citizens believed that we couldn't protect them, it could become problematic. However, I'm afraid we were not able to hide the attack on the auction house in Murantia."

Tactus massaged his forehead, "what is the situation in the terminus systems?"

"Attacks from Pirates have risen to an unprecedented level. I believe we can no longer deny the theory of a United Terminus Clans. We also have reports that several attacks on human colonies have been thwarted by the intervention of Cerberus. Unfortunately, they are always long gone by the time we can send someone to investigate."

"There is another development Primarch," one of the other Turians spoke up, "several Admirals and Generals within the Hierarchy have already decided to act upon the Intel provided during the Battle of Elysium. They have also authorised the human fleets to mobilise," he said the last part with a hint of disgust.

Tactus growled, "Arterius and Victus," he mumbled under his breath.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Slaver base, Terminus Systems**

**Date: 15****th**** July**

**Time: 1300**

In a hallway a Turian and a Batarian were standing guard in front of the door. "You heard what happened to Keash's group? He tried to raid some human colony. Got attacked by Cerberus before the ship even got close to the planet," the Turian said with disdain.

"Dammit," the Batarian responded, "When this thing started, we were promised no trouble from the Hierarchy. That doesn't mean shit if we are getting fucked over by a bunch a humans,"

"It hasn't been so bad," the Turian shot back, "Vrumar already scored two good hauls, Bastard already made a killing."

Unknown to the both of them, just around the corner, a female figure was pressed against the wall. She took a deep breath and raised her two pistols, in one swift move she rolled out from behind cover, ending in kneeling position. The two guards began to turn their heads, before they understood what was happening, she took them both down with well-placed headshots.

However, the gunfire alerted the slavers in the room behind the door. One Batarian cautiously made his way closer to the door. As it opened all he saw was a blur of red as their assailant front flipped through the still opening door and delivered a kick into his gut. From her position, poised on the stomach of the falling Batarian, she quickly fired a shot straight in between his four eyes, she next aimed both her pistols outwards and opened fire. She gunned down a Batarian on her left and two more Turians on her right before she hit the ground.

The remaining slavers quickly began to open fire on her, in response she quickly dived behind a nearby crate for cover. As the slavers opened fire on her meagre protection, she used the brief reprieve to load new thermal clips. She was covered in blue glow as she erected a biotic barrier around herself. She jumped over the crate and began to fire again. She took down a Vorcha and a Batarian. She suddenly struck her left pistol under her right arm and fired off three shots, killing a Salarian that was trying to flank her. The slavers tried to return fire but in their panicked state were barely able to hit her, and any shots that found their mark were easily absorbed by her biotic barrier.

There were only three left now, a Turian, a Batarian and a Krogan. They just finished reloading their weapons but as they begin to draw a bead on the human woman attacking them, she quickly holstered her left pistol and primed a grenade. She threw it at the trio and they were consumed by the explosion. She was about to turn around until she heard an animalistic roar and saw the Krogan emerging from the flames, he was badly burned and charged at her in a mad rage. With incredible athleticism she jumped flipped over the reptile and landed with a one-handed handstand on his hump, acting quickly she jammed her pistol behind his head plate and opened fire. The high velocity slugs tore through his brain and out his lower jaw. She gracefully flipped back onto her feet as the body fell to the ground.

Liz Shepard brushed her fiery red hair out of her eyes and looked around at the defeated slavers, "This is lieutenant Shepard," she spoke into her omni-tool, "the area is secure General Arterius."

* * *

**000**

* * *

In another part of the base, Ashley Williams stood poised outside a doorway, as multiple slavers fired at her from within. Several Turian soldiers were with her, a couple of them tending to an unlucky comrade who had taken a shot through the shoulder.

"How's he doing?" Ashley asked, "we stopped the bleeding, he should be fine now," one of them responded.

"Dammit," she mumbled under her breath," I warned him not to charge straight in like that."

"You're the ranking officer lieutenant, what's the plan?" one of them asked.

Ashley gave a quick glance back around the doorway, flinching when a high velocity slug skimmed past her face, "all right this is going to rely on you guys memorising the enemy's exact positions," Ashley said as she began to explain her strategy.

The slavers were positioned behind several makeshift barricades, firing at the doorway whenever they got even the slightest glimpse of an enemy. Suddenly the doorway began to fill with smoke. After a few moments all of the slavers ceased fire, expecting their attackers to emerge from the smoke.

What they didn't expect, was several streams of high velocity slugs to exit the smoke. The slavers immediately ducked behind their cover, but one unlucky Vorcha was hit. As they ducked under the barricades, they barely had time to react as a figure leapt out of the smoke. Ashley landed on one of the foremost barricades, catching the two slavers hidden behind it completely by surprise. Without pausing she levelled her assault rifle and gunned down two Batarians. Without stopping she spun left and opened fire again, cutting down a Turian and a Salarian.

As the rest of the slavers begin to regain their bearings, Ashley ducked back behind the cover and loaded a new thermal clip. The slavers immediately began firing on her, pinning her down. That situation was soon resolved though, as the rest of her squad began to emerge from the smoke. With their defence shaken by Ashley's sudden surprise attack the slavers quickly started to fall back.

Wanting to maintain their momentum, Ash dashed out from behind cover and flanked their enemies. A Turian turned to face her just in time to receive right hook to the face, sending him to the ground. She finished him off with a burst, before gunning down another Batarian.

Looking around she saw that the only survivors were a couple of Batarians who didn't look like they had any intention of coming quietly. "Human Bitch!" One of them roared," Ash quickly dived behind another barricade, dodging the shots. "Grenade!" Ashley yelled to her squad before tossing one, it sailed over the barrier and incinerated the two remaining slavers in an explosion.

As the sound of gunfire subsided Ashley and her squad formed up, "keep your guard up, we don't know if any of these assholes are just playing possum." Several of the Turians looked at each other confused, "What's a possum?" one of them asked. Suddenly, one of the fallen Batarians shot up and aimed his pistol at them. A hail of slugs brought him down before he could even aim. Ashley kept her rifle trained on the body, "that's a possum, something that pretends to be dead, so it will be overlooked," she stated.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Two hours later the group of humans and Turians were assembled outside the entrance to the base. "We didn't find anything General, from what we can tell the servers automatically began to wipe themselves as soon as we were within proximity," Garrus explained to Saren.

"Dammit, so we still have no leads on who these bastards are getting their Intel from," the General clenched his prosthetic fist, "I knew that we were dealing with a large united group Captain Vakarian, but this level of sophistication is concerning. Whoever is in charge is taking every precaution to make sure none of his underlings compromising him."

"Sir, I know it's unlikely, but do any of the prisoners know anything?" Liz asked.

"Unfortunately, not Lieutenant," Saren responded, rubbing his temples, "from what they've said they just receive their information and act on it. We know this group was part of a raid on a human colony three days ago but no captured humans were ever brought here."

Garrus looked off into the distance, he tensed up when he noticed a shuttle incoming, "I think we've got company General," he stated, "Indeed," Saren responded, in a tone that showed he was not looking forward to this conversation.

Soon the shuttle landed in front of the group and General Salvitus emerged, he glared at Saren. "What is the meaning of this Arterius?!" he bellowed, "I don't know what you mean Salvitus," Saren responded, uncaring. Salvitus bristled slightly at the response, "you went ahead with this attack without informing high command first, you even give authorisation for the Alliance to assist you," he growled.

Saren rolled his eyes at his fellow General's attitude, "I thought it imperative to act on the information as soon as possible, especially given how the last two occurrences where I took the time to inform high command, the bases were abandoned long before we reached them," he said.

Salvitus' eyes narrowed, "do not make a habit of this," he demanded, pointing a finger right in his face, before turning around and taking his leave.

"Asshole," Garrus said once he was out of earshot, "undisputedly," Saren confirmed.

Looking back at the soldiers under his command Saren noticed Liz's frustrated expression, "what's on your mind Shepard?" he asked.

"Ever since Elysium, human colonies have been under almost constant attack, and it feels like we're barely doing anything to prevent that," she said honestly. Saren just sighed, "I can't deny the validity of that statement Shepard, truthfully the attacks would be much more devastating if not for…." He trailed off.

"Cerberus," Liz sated uncomfortably, _I don't know what to think about them….. I mean saving those colonies is something I am definitely thankful for… but broadcasting those brutal executions….the galaxy is just going to judge humanity as a whole by those standards._

"Yes, Cerberus," Saren responded, causing Liz to quickly look back up at him, "I will be truthful with you Shepard. The Hierarchy has deployed so many of its forces, not to protect human colonies, but in the hopes that we will find Cerberus."

Garrus looked at Saren in alarm, "Sir, considering what we've seen they're capable of. Do we really want to just run into Cerberus randomly?"

"In my personal opinion Vakarian. Hell No!" Saren replied.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Earth, Vila Militar, Rio de Janeiro**

**Date: 17****th**** July**

**Time: 1200**

John was once again in the common area of the villa, in contact with Miranda.

"We've already rescued an impressive number of people. We helped any that wanted to return home do so, but a significant number have stated that they want to help rescue others," she said.

"That's good to hear, and we've started establishing the cells on the other large Turian colonies?" He asked.

"Yes. Additionally, there have been some interesting developments with the Turian fleet movements. As we expected they've increased the patrols in their own territory but they've also doubled the number of patrols along the Terminus border. This has actually resulted in fewer patrols through human territories. There are quite sizeable windows available now," Miranda explained.

"I see," John said, "I think we can use this as an opportunity to remove the Hierarchy's influence within the Alliance. We should send a cell to identify those in the Hierarchy's pocket…..but make sure they have irrefutable evidence before they eliminate a suspect."

"Of course, now I believe it is time for next big move," Miranda explained.

"Thessia," Shepard stated with a frown.


	30. Chapter 30: Marring the Crown Jewel

A/N_: Italics_ indicate internal thought.

**Bold **indicates Reaper speech

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

In response to reviews

**RandoFox: **Thanks for the encouragement.

* * *

**Marring the Crown Jewel**

* * *

**Location: Parnitha System, Thessia, Serrice**

**Time: 2300**

**Date: 17****th**** July**

The homeworld of the Asari was something many people would consider a place of unparalleled beauty. The natural splendour of the Oceans and Forests seemed to blend perfectly into the great cities. It was not hard to see how it had earned the moniker, 'The crown jewel of the galaxy'.

However, from his position perched on top of a tall building, hidden by the shadows of the night, John was seeing another side to that 'jewel'.

From what he had learned from Miranda, many Asari Matriarch's had fought passionately against the legalisation of slavery in the galaxy. Unfortunately, there had been some severe upheavals in the structure of the Council of Matriarchs several decades ago. Now more and more Asari began owning human slaves, either to enjoy the pleasure their bodies provided or the status that owning a slave provided in this age.

_And they still have the gall to call this place the, 'cradle of democracy' _John thought bitterly.

The Asari had justified their hypocrisy by stating that the slavery of humans meant that their own people would not be targeted. Shepard had looked into that, and even he could admit that before humans came onto the scene, before slavery became such a crucial part of galactic life, the Asari were the species most sought-after by slavers.

_**Do not feel pity for them John…..they claim they do it out of self-preservation…..but like the Batarians…..like all vermin….. They enjoyed the feeling of crushing someone they believe is weaker than them.**_

John clenched his fists at those words, _their hypocrisy is as great as the Turians. They think they can live free of the fear of slavery at the expense of humanity. After tonight they will understand how grievous an error they have made._

The glowing red eyes of Shepherd's helmet turned towards a large building. It was a typical example of Asari architecture. The elegant curved shape of the structure, that gave the impression it belonged in an art gallery, disguised the fact that the building was strong enough to resist an orbital bombardment. This was the Bastion of Athame. The main headquarters for the Asari military.

Shepard narrowed his eyes beneath his helmet, before activating his omni-tool, **"Miranda, is our Intel on the defences accurate?" **he asked, "Several dozen commando squads, as well as few Matriarch Generals. Nothing you shouldn't be able to handle," she said calmly.

Shepard paused for a second, **"Are you sure…. Sha'ira would approve of this?" **He asked uncertainly, Miranda's response was to give a small laugh, "she's on the Citadel right now because, in her own words 'she cannot stomach the den of hypocrisy this world has become'. And if you need more proof, before we left the Citadel, she provided me with the names of several Matriarch's that she believes need to be eliminated before the republics can begin to regain their former glory, and before you ask. Yes, I've looked into them myself to confirm what she said."

Miranda was silent for a few moments, "in all seriousness Shepard, some of the things these Matriarchs have done make Aria T'Loak seem like a law-abiding citizen."

Shepard nodded his head, **"we are also certain…Benezia isn't here at the moment?" **

_**Her safety should not matter to us John….. She is just another squid bitch to be exterminated, **_the voice tore loudly through his head but Shepard didn't flinch.

_Maybe she is, but she is still Liara's mother….. And I'm not going to cause her any more pain than I already have._

"Yes, I confirmed that Benezia is on the Citadel right now," Shepard remained silent and continued to stare at the building, "relax will you," Miranda said, snapping him out of it, "there's nothing here you can't handle, after all is not like you're going to run into a Justicar."

Shepard actually give a small chuckle at that, **"Thanks Miranda. All right the mission is commencing now."**

* * *

**000**

* * *

Within the halls of the Bastion, two Asari commandos patrolled the hallway. Clad in their form fitting black uniforms and carrying Deacon Assault rifles. They were completely unaware of the fluctuating silhouette trailing them.

One of the Asari looked at her partner, "I overheard a group of maidens talking at a bar last night, they believe that just because the humans haven't made any moves into Asari space that there's nothing to worry about," she said with a hint of disdain.

The other Asari gave a small laugh, "Oh is that what they think? Incredible, it only took a month for them to forget about how the Turians' most well defended fortress was demolished."

The first Asari gave a small sigh, "well to be honest the Matriarch's have been going overboard trying to reassure the public that they're not in any danger."

"I suppose I can concede that we don't want a mass panic on our hands, but it is a foolish idea to try convincing people that there is no threat when we are constantly having to witness those brutal executions. Of course, there is also the fact that we have not made any progress in finding Cerberus." Her partner replied, in a resigned tone.

"In truth I am not sure what we should be more concerned about, those mechanised suits Cerberus now have at their disposal or the fact they can co-opt broadcasts all over the galaxy, simultaneously."

Her partner looked at her with an incredulous expression, "is that what you think we should be worried about? Are you forgetting the 'individual' that decimated an entire Turian army, singlehandedly," she said, stressing the word.

"By Athame, you can't believe that thing was human. I can only imagine what vile experimentation Cerberus has dabbled in to create such a monstrosity," her partner replied with horror in her voice.

"The Salarians think they must've found it in some Protean ruin."

John crouched down, his glaring red eyes watching them both from the shadows and waited for the two Asari to move out of sight, he looked to the nearby air vent and began to generate a small red sphere in his hand.

* * *

**000**

* * *

In the server room of the fortress, two Asari commandos stood guard, while two more sat at the terminals responsible for showing the status of the servers. Suddenly, to the surprise of all four of them the doors opened but no one was there.

The two commandos raised their weapons and slowly moved towards the doorway. They looked out, into the adjacent hallway but still could see nothing out of the ordinary. One of them was about to activate her coms to report the strange occurrence, when she suddenly noticed the fluctuating silhouette of a tactical cloak. She tried to cry out, but a massive gash appeared across her throat and blue blood squirted out like a geyser. The other commando didn't have a second react before she felt five sharp objects pierce her chest and puncture her heart.

The other two stood up in horror as they saw the brutal attack, the only visible sign of their attacker was the blood-soaked fingers suspended in mid-air. Their attacker deactivated his cloak revealing the terrifying form of Reaper in all his glory. One of them tried to sound the alarm, but with a flash of red he was in front of her. The blades on his left forearm sliced through her neck. He drew one of his guns and aimed at the final commando, she raised her biotic barrier to try and defend herself, but it provided no protection from the red bolt that burned through her head.

Seeing all the threats neutralised Reaper locked the door and made his way over to the terminal, **"all right EDI, you know what to do," **he stated. The AI's holographic avatar appeared, "Of course," she turned towards the terminal, "this will be an easier task than Ramiscus." She held up her hand and suddenly vast troves of data scrolled by on the screens as it was downloaded and relayed to EDI's main data core on the Normandy. "Download complete, we have the desired data on the Asari fleet movements as well as information on several highly classified projects I believe we should investigate at a later date."

"**All right then that's mission accomplished, time for me to see how I measure up against the legendary Asari commandos," **he responded. EDI gave him a slightly bemused expression, "I don't suppose I could convince you to make a more discreet exit and avoid the chance of putting yourself in potentially 'mortal' danger," she said dryly, already knowing what his response would be.

"**You know this is about more than gathering Intel EDI. It's also about sending a message….and creating a diversion," **EDI seemed to roll her holographic eyes at his response, the small actions like that always made John question whether she was 'just' an AI.

"Well I suppose I should inform you that we have a high priority target currently patrolling outside the fortress. Matriarch General Dalmaira,"

John tensed up at that, it was yet another name he learnt to loath during his two years of preparation, **"she's one of the people who ensured the military capabilities of the Alliance was minimalised after the First Contact War. 'Not a sufficiently developed species to be entrusted with such military might' she said," **he growled in disgust, **"this is going to be good,**" and with that he decimated the spheres.

* * *

**000**

* * *

Just as it had several times before, all over the galaxy screens turned to static before the image came back showing the elegant fortress of the Bastian of Athame. People were able to identify the building…..just before it was levelled by several massive explosions.

* * *

**000**

* * *

General Dalmaira stared in shock at the burning husk of the fortress, her fingers clenching around the grip of her Acolyte pistol. One of the commandos next to her mumbled, "This is just like Ramiscus…..he's here." Asari commandos typically had a few centuries of combat experience, all that time fighting helped to build a mentality of never panicking when things became difficult, but the General could easily hear the fear in her subordinate's voice.

_How could this happen?...How could he have gotten here undetected?...How…?_

Her inner triad was cut off as another of her subordinates called out, "Matriarch look!" Turning her gaze to the inferno, she could see the silhouette of a figure slowly becoming clearer. And just as she had seen on a screen a month ago, she saw the monster responsible for this devastation in the flesh.

Reaper looked over the assembled commandos before him, his red eyes sweeping across the ranks, **"the commandos of the Asari republic are hailed as the greatest warriors in the galaxy," **he stated, once again his helmet amplified his voice so it echoed across the battlefield, **"I wonder if you will disappoint as the Turians did?" **the Asari all tensed up at the arrogance in his voice.

Dalmaira took this moment to step forward, "Your victory against the Hierarchy has made you foolishly arrogant terrorist! We will see that you pay dearly for the innocent lives that were taken today!"

Reaper turn to look at the General, **"innocent?" **He said the word as if it was extremely out of place. Suddenly an intense aura of hostility began to cascade from Reaper, several of the commandos backed away slightly in fear, several began to sweat due to the tsunami of rage they felt was pressing down on them.

"**How many Asari contribute to the suffering of humanity General?! How many lives are they responsible for destroying?! And for what?! So they can use them for their own pleasure! So they don't have to carry out some menial tasks!" **he roared.

"**And you General," **he pointed a finger accusingly at her, **"you worked to deny humanity the strength to even defend itself!"**

Dalmaira stood resolute, "humanities fate was one they wrought upon themselves….just as you have," She signalled and Reaper's head was knocked back due to a large projectile colliding with it.

A long distance away an Asari pulled her eye away from the scope of her Elder sniper rifle. She grinned in triumph, believing she had just killed their attacker. This however soon morphed into confusion due to the fact Reaper was still standing. He brought his head back up as a red aura began to dissipate from around him. The Face plate of the helmet was cracked and dented from the high velocity shot but it still held.

"**Was that your best shot?" **He asked rhetorically, **"let me show you mine!"**

**[BGM start: 'War of Change' by Thousand Foot Krutch]**

Red lighting crackled around Reaper's forearms as his red energy blades ignited. In a blur he leapt towards the commandos. He appeared just above one, unfortunately for him her reflex had been honed by centuries of combat, she reacted quickly and launched a biotic shockwave, with the intent of knocking him back. Her eyes widened in horror as the wave simply dissipated against his red aura, she was so shocked that she failed to evade him as he came down, driving his right blade through her heart and knocking her to the ground. Reaper could hear the sound of sizzling flesh as his blade cauterised the lethal wound he had just inflicted.

Around him all the other commandos stared at him in shock, in all their decades and centuries of combat they had never seen their biotics just…fail. Reaper quickly stood back up and drove his left blade through the throat of another commando. A third commando tried to deliver a biotic charged fist into his face, but in a swift motion he severed her hand with his left blade, the heat of it cauterised on the stump. He followed up by using his right blade to decapitate her.

Another Asari opened fire at him with her Bishop SMG, but the shots were simply absorbed by his red barrier. He responded by slicing through her midsection. One commando charged at him, but Reaper could already see that behind her another Asari was taking aim at him. He deactivated the blade on his right arm and grabbed the charging commando by her upper arm and pulled her in front of him just as her comrade pulled the trigger. She quickly tried to protect yourself by erecting a biotic barrier, but to her horror found her barrier easy dissipating in the presence of this monstrous invader. She could only gasp as the high velocity slugs hit her in the back.

Shepard quickly ducked under a swing from another commando, and countered by re-activating his right blade and slicing her throat. One commando was successfully able to sneak behind him and cast a biotic stasis on him, freezing him in place. One of her allies immediately try to open fire on Reaper. Red energy surged around him cancelling out the effect of the stasis, he quickly rolled out of the way, causing the commando to open fire on her comrade. Reaper charged forward and impaled the commando who was still in shock at firing on her squad mate. He swung to his right, cutting down another commando.

Another commando fired her Disciple shot gun at close range, hitting him in the chest. He stumbled back, but thankfully his barrier had mostly held, although there was now some damage to his chest plate. Reaper charged forward and impaled her, he then swung his arm, flinging her corpse into several other commando's, knocking them them down. He then threw both of his blades outward, impaling a commando on either side of him.

Reaper raised his right arm again…and a high velocity slug punched through his forearm. He instintively deactivated his blades and gritted his teeth in pain. He was distracted by the fact that he had been injured that he almost failed to react in time. Fortunately, he was able to raise his still injured right arm to block a biotic charge from General Dalmaira. He was sent sliding backwards several feet, and he had felt the bone in his forearm crack from the blow.

_Dammit, I've been expending too much energy, I didn't notice my barrier was depleted._

The General as well as half a dozen commandos aimed their weapons at him and were all about the fire.

_No….. I'm not done yet._

Reaper channelled even more energy through himself, and launched a massive red shockwave towards the assembled firing squad in front of him. The shockwave overwhelmed any barrier the commandos tried to raise and sent them flying. Dalmaira collided with a wall and screamed as she felt her leg snap.

Reaper used the brief reprieve to channel some of his energy into his forearm, and felt the bone mend and the hole close, but this was soon followed by a less welcome feeling…the familiar feeling of his arms burning. He gritted his teeth, forced through the pain and reignited his blades before turning back to the other commandos.

He charged right into them, giving them barely any time to react. He cut down one on his right, then spun behind him cutting down two more with a single stroke. He sliced through one commando's weapon, before driving his other blade into her chest. He then performed a 360 spin while holding his blades outwards, cutting down three more commandos. He jump flipped forward, slamming his boots into the chest of a commando and sending her to the ground with fractured ribs, another tried to deliver a biotic punch to his face, but he tilted his head out of the way and then drove his left blade through her face.

He severed the arm of one Asari, then slashed her chest to finish her off. He sweep-kicked another onto the ground and drove his blade into her downed form. Suddenly he was hit again in the shoulder by a high velocity slug, his armour thankfully held. Reaper spun around and laid eyes on the same Asari sniper that had shot at him at the beginning of the fight. He quickly deactivated his right blade and grabbed one of his guns and after taking a second to aim, fired. The Asari barely felt the energy bolt pass through her head.

He reactivated his blade, even as the burning sensation in his arms remained and continued his assault. He slammed his foot down on an Asari's leg, breaking her thigh before slicing her throat. He cut down another on his left, then spun round and drove both blades to the chest of a commando coming from behind him. He swung fluidly and precisely with his blades; the bodies of half a dozen commandos fell with cauterised gashes on their bodies. He decapitated the commando in front of him just before she could fire her shot gun. As her body fell to the floor Reaper finally realised, he was no longer being attacked.

**[BGM End]**

"Fall back! Fall back!"

"Someone call a Goddess damned airstrike!"

"Screw that we need an orbital bombardment!"

Many other comments were shouted as the surviving commandos fled. Reaper deactivated his blades seeing as the fight was over, the burning feeling in his arms however remained. He also deactivated the broadcast signal and all over the galaxy screens returned to what they were original showing.

_**What are you waiting for John… go after them…. show them the consequences of their hypocrisy.**_

Reaper grasped his head, _we have what we came for, we've spilled enough blood tonight, he _internally growled back.

Just then a small movement caught his attention, and he turned his head to see a form attempting to crawl away, **"on second thoughts, perhaps we are a little short on that quarter."**

General Dalmaira was desperately dragging herself along the ground, all around her she could see the bodies of her sisters in arms. She had fought for decades alongside these commandos, for some centuries but they had been cut down like first year cadets. They were helpless against the might of that…. Monster. That Demon.

"Athame protect us," she mumbled.

"**Is that a prayer Matriarch?" **she looked up to see the demon's red eyes looking back at her, and her fear returned tenfold, **"I'm afraid your goddess is not here today," **he crouched down, his skull painted face now just a few inches from her own, **"just me."**

"Why….. why have you done this?" she managed to croak out, he only tilted his head.

"**I have done nothing. You have wrought this entirely upon yourselves," **the matriarch widened her eyes in shock as he threw the very words she had said to him earlier back at her.

Reaper grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up, **"You speak of democracy and freedom, yet you put all of your effort in to ensuring we would never be able to be anything but slaves," **he said to her, **"because it didn't matter if we suffered as long as you were safe, because it didn't matter when you could have someone carry out the tasks you don't want to do. Because humans don't matter right!" **He roared the last sentence.

"**I'm here to tell you this Matriarch. We….do…..Matter."**

The Matriarch screamed as red lightning surged across her and her body began to wither. Reaper dropped the drained carcass to the ground.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: The Normandy**

**Time: 0100**

**Date: 18****th**** July**

Later John was sitting on his bed, in his personal quarters on board the Normandy, he had removed his armour and was looking down at his forearms, watching his red energy dance along his blackened skin, restoring it to its normal look.

He looked up as the door opened and Miranda walked in, her heels clacking along the floor, "do I need to mentioned that you were fighting with multiple skull fractures?" she said sternly.

"What does it matter Miranda. I heal fast, God knows you spend enough time studying that part about me," he said, waving off her concerns.

"And I thought I explained to you that the more of that energy you use, to power your suit, to fight to heal yourself, the more energy you have to generate. And when you exceed a certain limit, that happens," she pointed to his hands, where the last patches of blackened skin were vanishing, "I don't think that's something you want to keep happening John."

_**she would try and limit us….collar us….keep us weak…..**_

John ignored the voice, "I'm grateful for your concern Miranda, I'll try to keep within my limits from now on," he replied.

"Thank you," Miranda responded with a small smile, "nevertheless the mission was a great success. We secured all the Republics most secret information. The Thessia cells have successfully landed and you were able to eliminate the target."

"You've earned yourself a rest John," Miranda continued, "and I swear to God if you try sneaking out, I will have EDI lock you in here," she said as she turned around and walked out. John couldn't help but laugh at the irony of being grounded.

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: Citadel, Presidium Commons, Apollo Café,**

**Time: 1200**

**Date: 19****th**** July**

Atheyta downed another glass of alcohol as she scowled at a nearby screen. It was a news report of Reaper's second big attack. The Matriarch wasn't listening to the reporter rant about all the lives lost in the terrible tragedy.

"Go ahead, tell us there aren't any negative consequences of slavery now you miserable bitches," she growled. She scowled as she looked at the bottom of a glass, "now we can only hope they don't take their revenge against you out on all Asari."

* * *

**000**

* * *

**Location: ****Thessia, Serrice****, T'hayra Estate**

**Time: 1300**

Matriarch Falika T'hayra was one of the most powerful Matriarchs in the Republic even surpassing the likes of Benezia T'soni. At the current moment she was sitting at a table with several other Asari her face like stone.

"Obviously this outrageous attack cannot go without retaliation, but our immediate concern is the demise of Dalmaira. Do we have anyone suitable to fill her role?" she asked, a voice like ice.

The Asari next to her spoke up, "I have subordinate who is suitable for a promotion to General. She would serve our purposes well."

"Excellent General Mayina," Falika replied, "I will propose that she be promoted to fill Dalmaira's position next time the Matriarch's are in session. We must ensure we retain our influence over the military."

She turned her gaze to address the group as a whole, "I do not believe I have to remind you how serious this could be. If we are not able to hold up our end of the arrangement. 'He' will have no reason to uphold his," she said forebodingly.


	31. Chapter 31: Warped Experiments

A/N_: Italics_ indicate internal thought.

**Bold **indicates Reaper speech

_**Bold Italics**_ indicate Reaper internal speech

Please comment and review

This is my first attempt at a story, so I am open to constructive criticism. Also If anyone has suggestions for the story feel free to give them.

In response to reviews

**mckertis: **What exactly do you mean by a consistency in tone?

* * *

**Warped Experiments**

* * *

**Location: Hiesete System, Voeyra**

**Time: 1300**

**Date: 19****th**** July**

Voeyra was a desert world, with endless dunes of sulphur and a toxic atmosphere. It was lifeless, uninhabitable, and devoid of anything any species would find useful.

_This is the perfect place to hide something, _John thought as he observed the planet surface, via the cameras of the KODIAK shuttle he was riding, as it zoomed over the desert.

EDI's avatar appeared in the passenger area, "we are several clicks out from the target Reaper," she stated. He turned towards the hologram, **"Understood," **he then addressed the shuttle pilot, **"remember, don't slow down," **he said. "Yes, sir" the pilot responded.

"Ms Lawson has requested that I go over the infiltration plan with you again," EDI stated before her avatar vanished and was replaced by a holographic display of their target. "As we know the main facility is several kilometres underground, to avoid discovery ," EDI explained, "we have determined the best way to enter the facility is via the elevator shafts that lead to the surface entrance of the structure," as she said this, she highlighted the lift shaft on the hologram, "There are multiple seismic sensors around the facility, obviously used to detect any significant disturbances in the sand. Any significant disturbance will result in the facility sending someone to investigate, that will present you with an opportunity to enter the facility undetected.

Reaper groaned slightly, **"I was there when we came up with the plan EDI, why do you constantly feel the need to re-explain it to me?" **He asked rhetorically. EDI's avatar reappeared, "myself and Miranda both believed it important to remind you to exercise caution as we are still unaware of this facility's purpose. We are dealing with a significant number of unknowns," she stated.

"**You and Miranda haven't come up with a theory about this place yet?" **he asked. EDI shook her head, "we have failed to come to a possible conclusion because there is almost no information, even with all the data I extracted from the Bastion. What we do know, is that any information sent from this facility is relayed to an encrypted address, then the original message is deleted. Whatever information is kept here, someone has dedicated considerable resources to ensuring it remains confidential."

Reaper stood up and opened the shuttle door, **"well I guess we'll find out when I get inside," **he said nonchalantly as his hood and coat fluttered in the wind, **"Target in range in ten seconds," **when the timer reached zero, Reaper activated his cloak and leapt out of the shuttle. The KODIAK didn't even decelerate. He hit the sandbanks and quickly rolled before he regained his footing.

The surface entrance was a cylindrical structure not much bigger than a typical garden shed. He walked towards the elevator door, carefully placing his feet so as not to leave obvious tracks. He crouched down near the door and activated his omni-tool to allow EDI access to the elevator systems, "I have accessed the controls for the elevator. Hold on, we have one coming up, it will arrive in twenty seconds," hearing that Reaper quickly moved around the side.

When the doors opened, two Asari commandos stepped out, they were both wearing breathing masks. They each pulled out a pair of binoculars and began to look at the surrounding area.

As Shepard slowly began to make his way around to the open elevator door, EDI spoke up, "we have a problem, they have a weight detection system in the lift. If an elevator is carrying more weight than it should, it will lock down," she explained.

John was quite confused by this, **"why would they need a security feature like that?" **he mumbled.

"Unknown," EDI stated, "I have devised an infiltration plan but you will have a very small window to execute it."

Meanwhile the two commandos had gotten sick of staring at endless dunes of sulfur, "Goddess damn it, why do we come all the way up here to check every time there is a disturbance, it's always just a shift in the sand," one of them stated, obviously very frustrated.

"Our superiors are paranoid about this place being discovered," her partner stated, "you know as well as I do what will happen if this place is exposed."

"Oh come on, nobody knows this place exists, and anyone who does, they'd never be able to tell anyone about it. Now let's go, we checked, it's fine. Let's head back down I'm sick of this terrain."

The two commandos went back into the elevator and the doors slid shut behind them. Reaper quickly moved back in front of the door; he could already hear the elevator descending. "All right John you are only going to have a five second window for this….Go," as she said that the lock on the door vanished. John slipped his fingers into the gap and pulled the doors apart, being careful not to damage them in anyway. Then he jumped through and dug his claws into the opposite side of the elevator shaft, letting him hang off the wall. A second later the electronic lock of the door reactivated.

"Excellent work John, there is no sign that they detected us," EDI commented.

"**Great, let's get down there," **he let go of the wall and began to freefall.

As he fell Reaper's HUD showed, how close he was getting to the first floor. When he was close enough, he dug his claws into the wall, leaving large gashes in the metal as his descent was slowed and he came to a stop next to another door.

He held up his omni-tool and EDI repeated what she had done earlier allowing him to slip through the doors undetected.

His tactical cloak activated; Reaper observed his surroundings. It was a simple hallway but, on both sides, half a dozen identical rooms could be seen through clear screen-walls. The rooms contained a chair, a desk with a built-in terminal and varius other items you would find in an office. At the end of the hallway yet another office could be seen.

Shepard walked up to the door of the nearest office, **"Can you hack this EDI?" **he asked, "Yes," she replied. A few seconds later the holographic lock changed to green. Reaper activated the terminal, "Excellent, this terminal is connected to the main server I can access the main systems from here," EDI reported. Reaper gave another look around the office, **"Where is every one?" **he asked, "I can only theorise that their attention is elsewhere," she responded.

"Reaper, I have found an audio file that could give us some insight into this facilities purpose," EDI said as the screen changed to show the image of an Asari wearing medical clothes, Reaper leaned in closer as the log began to play.

"17th of September 2168. We have moved in to the new Voeyra facility. After the destruction of the facility on Pragia, many of us feared that it would be the end of our research. However, Matriarch T'snaya reassured us our work would continue, and as always, she was right," the Asari looked away from the screen, a look of great pride on her face, "now we are once again able to continue our great work. To make the commandos of the Asari Republic the greatest warriors in the galaxy."

As the log ended Shepard placed his hand under his chin in a thoughtful pose. "It would appear that the purpose of this facility is to increase the strength of Asari commandos," EDI stated, **"yeah, but not how they're doing that," **Reaper responded, "but this does align with recent events," EDI stated before continuing, "over the past several years the Asari Republic has made unprecedented advancements in biotics. Their commandos have become stronger in almost every respect, but there's been no public information about where these discoveries have come from." She paused for a second, "additionally, Matriarch T'snaya is considered to be the greatest scientist in the field of biotics in the entire galaxy. If she is working at this facility then it is an obvious conclusion that this is where they have been experimenting with new methods to strengthen their soldiers."

"**Well then, let's check out her office."**

He made his way the larger office at the end of the hallway. Reaper could immediately see that this office was much more lavish than the others he had seen. He walked up to the larger desk and connected EDI, who brought up another video log. This time the Asari shown was much older, obviously in the Matriarch stage, but the most prominent detail were the severe burn scars running down the left side of her face. "That woman is Matriarch T'snaya," EDI confirmed, "I have looked through her video logs and identified the ones I believe to be most relevant".

"12th of October 2168. The first batch of test subjects arrived at the Voeyra facility today, and I cannot deny I am excited to resume my work. Our work at the predecessor facility on Pragia produced ground-breaking results, now we can continue our work." she paused for a second

"23rd of July 2172. Our research continues to progress, we have already perfected several new procedures to improve our commandos. Of course, there has been a greater demand for test subjects, but Matriarch T'hayra has assured me that there is nothing to worry about."

"**Matriarch T'hayra? She was another one that Sha'ira mentioned," **Reaper wondered out loud.

"7th of February 2178. Excellent news today, we reacquired subject zero. I remember when she was brought to the Pragia facility seventeen years ago, I never believed that a human could have such incredible biotic potential. While other subjects expired, she continued to survive, our efforts increased her biotic powers even further and thus we made great strides in increasing the biotic potential of Asari." The Matriarch paused for a second to rub the burn scars on her cheek, "I also remember the day she escaped. Massive explosions tore through the facility, and I saw her… a seven-year-old girl tearing apart guards like they were toys."

In the next log the Matriarch looked much more haggard, "6th of May 2179. Today T'hayra informed me of a new way she believes my research can benefit the Republic. In addition to increasing the biotic potential of our Asari commandos, we should attempt to condition young human biotics to fight for the Asari. I strongly disapprove of this; the purpose of this entire project was to make warriors capable of defeating our true enemy not humanity."

"This is the latest video log," EDI said.

As the Matriarch's image appeared on the screen John could only think one thing, _she looks horrible, _indeed she looked as if she had not slept in days, as she held her head in her trembling hands.

"18th of July 2183. Yesterday Thessia was attacked….. by the one they call Reaper…..He destroyed the Bastian and cut down so many commandos….. I heard some of the other scientists speak of him in fascination….they said he was a magnificent specimen that must be obtained. Those fools haven't realise what I have….that all the things I've done…. All the innocent blood I've spilled…..it is completely pointless. What good is the most powerful biotic in the galaxy against a warrior who can simply nullify biotic energy. And when he looked into the cameras….I felt as if he was staring directly at me…. gazing into my soul….judging me. By the Goddess…..what have we wrought upon ourselves."

"**It would appear my appearance scared her, but what enemy was she talking about if it wasn't humanity or Cerberus?" **Reaper asked.

"I'm afraid I can only speculate Reaper, nevertheless I believe we should pursue our true objective. I have been able to access the facilities main systems. Below us are several floors of laboratories where they undoubtedly conduct the experiments that have been referenced, below that are the containment cells for the test subjects," EDI said.

"**Do you have an estimate on the number of prisoners?" **Reaper asked, "I have no exact number but from the size of the containment facility, over seven hundred," she responded.

"**I see. Is there anyway to get to the lower floors besides the elevators?"** he asked, "Yes, there are several stairwells."

"**Good. Disable any external communications and lock down the elevator so none of them can escape."**

* * *

**000**

* * *

After descending a flight of stairs, Reaper stealthily made his way through several other hallways, his tactical cloak keeping him hidden from the patrolling security teams.

As he passed a window, he briefly looked in to see what was obviously one of the labs. Inside there was an Asari scientist, she was making an audio log on her omni-tool and standing in front table with….something on it.

Reaper tried to position himself to get a clear view of what was on the table but after several unsuccessful attempts decided he would have to get a closer look. So before quickly making sure there were no patrols in the hallway, Reaper opened the door to the lab and slipped in. The scientist was so engrossed in her work she didn't even react to the door.

Reaper carefully made his way up behind her and then he got a full view of what was lying on the slab….. and he was shocked.

Lying on the slab was the body of the young human boy who couldn't have been more than thirteen years old. His chest had been cut open and Reaper could already see several of his organs had been removed. There were similar cuts on his lower arms and legs where the skin had been peeled back to reveal the bone and muscle. Reaper could only stare in horror at this.

He was only brought out of his shock when he finally registered what the scientist was saying, "….the surgical procedure produced desirable results. Subject was able to biotically lift 40% more weight while all vitals remained within stable parameters. Even as safety parameters for the subject were exceeded, the additional generation of dark energy caused no negative symptoms relating to the subjects mental faculties. Subject was able to carry 55% more weight, upon reaching this limit the biotic nodes throughout the subjects body began to cause damage due to the additional generation of minor mass effect fields. Subject reached a limit of 60% before several organs were ruptured and the subject expired." The scientist explained, not a hint of compassion or concern in her voice.

Reaper clenched his fist and seethed in rage,_** these experiments…..they merely wish to see how far they can push humans before they die…all so they won't kill their own people…..and they have the gall to call themselves the lovers of democracy….why do you persist in believing there is any part of this wretched species worth saving.**_

Reaper heard the voice echoed in his head, and without stopping to consider it, he ignited the blade on his right arm and drove it through her back and into her heart. She let out a shocked gasp of pain before the light faded from her eyes. Reaper grabbed her body before she could hit the ground.

"What was the purpose of such action Shepard?" EDI asked, her tone mildly scathing, "you are fortunate I already have some control over the security cameras otherwise you would have exposed yourself."

"**I'm sorry EDI. The way she talked about that kid," **he said while stuffing the corpse into a nearby supply locker, **"using him just to find out how fast the process would kill him." **He gritted his teeth in rage.

"I understand your anger Shepard. But you must remember there are still hundreds of prisoners in need of rescue. If your infiltration is discovered, they may decide to eliminate them."

"**You're right, lets head down to the containment cells,"**

As he turned back to the door Reaper stopped as the voice echoed in his head once again, _**there is something else here Johnny… something else that could be of great value to us.**_

_What are you talking about? _He asked internally.

_**It is through the sacrifices of humans that the squids have made such amazing advancements…..should it not be more fitting that humans are the one to benefit from them.**_

_You're suggesting we use the sick experiments they performed here on our own people! If I didn't take the schematics for the weapons that the Turians made, what the hell makes you think I'm gonna take the research data from here! _He roared at the inner voice.

_**This is different John, you know it is.**_

John paused for a second, _I'm….I'm not taking the schematics for weapons of mass destruction. I'm not stealing something that could kill millions of civilians. The scientists here were developing ways to enhance their soldiers…..Cerberus could do the same…right?_

_**Exactly,**_

Reaper shuddered as he heard that, he hated sounding like he was looking to this thing for validation.

"**EDI, can you access the research data?" **He asked.

"Not from here no, but I have located the main lab. It is on the floor below us, I believe the research files are located there."

"**Then what are we waiting for."**

* * *

**000**

* * *

After several more minutes of stealthily manoeuvring through the facility, Reaper found himself in front of a large set of doors. He slipped into the main lab at the same time as another Asari scientist.

He stopped dead at what he saw.

All around him he saw the results of the vile experiments performed here. There were dozens and dozens of what he could only call specimen containers.

One contained the body of a teenage girl, her forearms mangled, bone shards protruding from her skin. Another contained the head and torso of a young man, multiple mechanical implants could be seen attached to the spine, which in itself looked as twisted as a Batarian's sense of morality. There were many more, some holding entire mangled bodies. Others only holding parts such as a head, brains and other organs.

Reaper could only drag his eyes away from this morbid art gallery because he'd notice something just as bad. Around the lab there were several operating tables similar to the ones he had seen in the previous lab. On one of them a young woman was face down, as Reaper walked over, he could already tell she was dead. He stared at the bleeding hole at the back of her head, several wires were visible poking out. He turned his gaze to her restrained wrists and ankles and the scaring they had produced on her body.

_Whatever fucked up experiment they were doing killed her…and she was completely conscious while it was happening, _Reaper mused, his rage growing.

His head shot up as he heard an almost inaudible whimper, walking around several more specimen containers, he saw two Asari scientists standing over another operating table, one with a pre-teen human girl strapped down.

Throwing discretion out the window Reaper deactivated his cloak and drew one of his guns, he was out about to fire at one of them when.

_**Why would you give her a such a quick death John?**_

_I have no reason too. _He responded, and adjusted his aim.

One of the scientists was about to use a scalpel to cut into the human's chest, when suddenly a red bolt struck her wrist. She screamed in pain and fell to her knees as she clutched the charred remains of what used to be her hand. Her colleague turned towards the source and screamed in fear at the site of the infamous terrorist.

She tried to back away but she quickly hit a wall, "please…..please…." she tried to beg as the monster approached her. Reaper quickly grabbed another medical knife from a nearby table, he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the wall. He gripped the knife in his right hand and he drove it through her left cheek , he started to carve into her face as she screamed in agony. With a quick twist he drove it into her brain.

He turned his is attention to the Asari he shot, who was still kneeling on the ground, cradling her hand while tears streamed down her face. "**Here's an experiment I'd like to carry out,**"he growled, "**how long does it take for this to kill you?**" she screamed as he grabbed her and drained her life.

Dropping the shrivelled corpse to the floor Reaper reached over and undid the restraints on the human. She frantically scurried off the table and back crawled away from him, her eyes wide with fear. He kneeled down to be level with her and calmly said **"I am not here to hurt you, do you understand me?" **After a few moments she slowly nodded her head, **"what's your name?" **he asked, "Mi…Michelle Rodriguez," she said, struggling to get the words out. **"I promise, I will get you and all of the others out of here," **he said reassuringly.

Reaper stood up and made his way to the lab's main terminal. Suddenly alarms started blaring and red lights started flashing. "Your presence here is no longer unnoticed," EDI remarked, sassily, **"that doesn't matter now. Download everything they have."**

The terminal screens begin to scroll through all the data, "Reaper I have found troubling information," she said.

"**What is it EDI?" **he asked, "I ran the name Michelle Rodriguez through the Cerberus database. She and her parents were reported murdered in an unsolved case. From the information I found here I have learned that her parents were murdered in order to 'acquire' her for this facility. In addition, she is only one of several hundred cases I have found."

_They rip apart innocent families….people who have done nothing…just for this!_

_**Just when you think you have seen the depths of their depravity…it is revealed they always have further depths to sink to, **_the voice whispered.

Reaper pushed his intensifying rage to the side to ask a more important question, **"how are they finding out about human biotics?" **he asked, with his teeth gritted and his fists clenched.

"The Illusive man has often stated that the Hierarchy has their own human puppets attempting to work themselves into positions of influence within the Alliance. It is likely that the Asari republics have similar operatives within human space," she theorised.

"**Worthless…..Xeno… Verm-" **Reaper started to yell in response but he was cut off as he saw another operating table with a body on it.

He did it double take at what he saw.

He made his way over blinking several times to make sure he wasn't seeing this. But the body's blue colour remained.

It wasn't a human…it was an Asari.

She was in the same condition as the human body's he had seen previously. Multiple surgical scars crisscrossed her arms and legs and the scarred tissue around her ankles and wrists showed that she had been the subject to similar brutal experiments.

Looking up, Reaper saw that she was far from the only one. The nearby containment units held the bodies of Turians and Batarians. He even saw the large frame of a Krogan suspended in one, the plates along his body looking as if they had been cracked apart.

"**What…what is this? I thought they were only using humans in their experiments," **he mumbled out loud, unable to comprehend what he was witnessing.

"The….they do their experiments on other races too…..they…. they also make us fight them…..say it's about finding other ways to kill them," Rodriguez squeaked out.

"The information I have found supports what she says. The majority of the prisoners in the holding cells are humans, but there are Turians, Krogan, Batarians and other Asari. From the data I found they were acquired in a similar matter to their human test subjects. Their main purpose seems to be finding more effective ways Asari commandos can combat them," EDI explained.

Reaper shook himself out of his shocked stupor, **"all right, then let's proceed to our main objective and rescue these people."**

Rodriguez shot in front of him, "please you've got to save her" she begged.

"**Whose her?" **

"Jack, the one they call subject-zero, she would try and help us whenever she could. She would take discipline beatings for us, help us when the strain got to much in the training. Please you can't let her die here." She begged.

"**I promise I won't"**

* * *

**000**

* * *

The containment cells were set up as a massive cellblock. A large hallway with dozens of rows of cells running down both sides, stairways and platforms allowing access to them.

Currently a squad of Asari commandos were running towards the elevator at the end of the hall. The light indicated that someone was coming down it.

They formed up in front of the elevator, their Deacon assault rifles pointed towards the door. They held their breaths as the door slowly opened…..only to reveal the bodies of several Asari commandos. Blue blood painting the walls inside.

The commandos twitched nervously, until they heard a smash from directly above them, they looked up to see their attacker smashing through the ceiling.

As Reaper fell, he drew both of his guns and opened fire, cutting down many of the Asari on the ground below him, their biotic barriers doing nothing to stop his energy bolts. He hit the ground with a resounding crash, creating a small crater behind the assembled group.

He brought up both his weapons and opened fire again, killing four more Asari. He then holstered his guns and ignited his blades, he charged forward and swung outwards, slicing across the stomachs of two commandos. He then swung his arms inwards again decapitating two more. He drove his blade into the abdomen of an Asari on his right and diagonally bisected another on his left. He then drove both his blades forward, impaling two more commandos and lifting them off the ground. Three more Asari fired at him from an upper platform, so Reaper quickly deactivated his blades, drew one of his guns and killed them.

Deciding to confirm what he'd seen in the lab previously, he ascended the stairs to the first level of cells and began to move along the walkway, looking into the cells as he did. In each cell he saw humans of various ages, usually cramming themselves in a corner or weeping into their beds.

As he walked along, he finally came to a cell with a different inhabitant. It was an Asari, from her size Reaper assume she was still less than forty years old. The cell next to her contained a young Turian. Reaper still didn't know what to think about this development. While walking along he casually cut down any more of the guards he came across.

Soon he reached the end of the hallway when he came across another cell, this one with a much stronger door.

"**This must be the cell of the infamous subject zero" **he said as he nonchalantly brought his boot down on the head of another Asari scientist desperately trying to crawl away.

"Reaper, our reinforcements have made planet fall," EDI said.

"**Good, tell them to secure a path out of this place, then proceed with evacuating these people. In the meantime, I think I want to introduce myself."**

Reaper unlocked the door, and as it opened a massive biotic shockwave surged towards him. Reacting quickly, he created a red biotic barrier, causing the blue energy to dissipate against it.

As the inside of the cell was finally visible, Reaper finally got a clear view of Jack. She wasn't anything like what he expected. She was a young woman in her early twenties with a rather scrawny build and short matted brown hair. She wore a simple shirt and shorts, but any visible skin was completely covered in tattoos from her neck down.

She stood ready to attack him and fixed him with a hard stare.

"Are you death?" She asked, Reaper couldn't tell if she was joking, "because if you are. What the fuck took you so long, asshole!" she yelled.

John blinked several times behind his helmet.

"**I am here to destroy this damn place and save anybody who needs to be."**

"Well let's all give praise to our fucking saviour," Jack responded sarcastically, her face then turned serious, "shit. You're the one they've been talking about last few weeks. Reaper."

Suddenly Reaper's attention was drawn away as he heard footsteps behind him and turned to see another squad of Asari commandos accompanied by another scientist. Her face turned panicked as she saw Jack, "Goddess….. Secure subject zero immediately!" she yelled.

Reaper grabbed one of his weapons, but before he could aim it, a blue blur shot past him. Jack slammed into the Asari with a biotic charge, sending three flying. She used her biotics to grab one of the still standing commandos and slammed her into the wall enough force to shatter her spine. She then charged her other fist with dark energy and delivered a left hook to the other still standing commando, pulverising her skull.

She turned her gaze to the scientist who was backing away in fear. Jack held up both her hands and grabbed her with her biotics, "my name is Jack! Bitch!" she pulled her arms apart and ripped the Asari in two.

One of the Asari knocked down by the initial charge stealthily got her feet, she aimed her Acolyte pistol at Jack, who still had her back turned. Before she could fire, she felt a searing pain as Reaper sliced her in half with one of his blades.

"I don't need your help asshole," she said, scathingly.

"**You're welcome,"** he responded.

"Look I don't have time for this, I need to find T'snaya, before that bitch gets away again. I'm not making the same mistake that I did at Teltin." Jack began heading back to the elevator.

"**What mistake are you talking about," **he asked, genuinely curious.

Jack stopped dead, her fist clenched and unclenched several times, "There was another place like this, the first memories I have are about that damn place." Jack paused for second, "and that bitch was there that whole time, carrying out all those fucking experiments, and telling me it was for some 'great' purpose. When I escaped, I made the mistake of not killing her on the way out. So, all I care about right now is making her pay," she resumed her trek towards the elevator.

"**The only thing?" **Reaper asked, slowly following her, **"on my way down here I saved a girl named Rodriguez from being sliced up. She gave the impression that… you do care about something else."**

Jack turned back to him, "do I look like I want a fucking head shrink right now?" she said with hostility. When he merely stared back at her, she sighed before continuing, "Back at Teltin all the others hated me. They were just sacrifices so I could get stronger. I wanted to hate the ones here too but…..when I saw some of those kids…..I just thought, fuck the Galaxy doesn't need more like me."

"Now if that's everything, I got to get to her before she gets away," she started moving faster.

"**My reinforcements have landed, they won't let anyone escape," **

Jack turned back to him, "well in that case, I wanna get to her before one of your buddies kills her,"

"**EDI, what's ****T'snaya's current location?"**

* * *

**000**

* * *

Both of them stepped through the doors, and there, sitting behind a desk was Dr T'snaya.

_Why did she come back here? Why didn't she try and escape? _Reaper wondered.

The Asari looked at both of them in turn, unlike every other Asari he had seen since he landed on this planet, she didn't look scared of him. She looked…resigned.

She was pouring a bottle of Asari wine into a glass, "you've come to kill me haven't you?" She asked rhetorically, her voice sounding very tired.

"Oh we'll get to that," Jack said, while she cracked her knuckles, "but first, I wanna hear your fucking excuse. You stole any chance I had a life, all for some great purpose. Well what was it bitch?!" She yelled.

T'snaya didn't react to Jack's outburst, "your real name is Jennifer, and you are correct in your accusations. I stole your life from you…. I stole it from hundreds of innocent people."

She then turned to Reaper, "I know you were in my office earlier today, you looked at my journal entries, so you already know what we were doing here," she said.

"**Creating stronger Asari commandos. What does the suffering of humans matter as long as it prevents the suffering of your kind." **The Matriarch only nodded, "a very accurate assessment."

"**In your journals you also stated that you were performing these sick experiments to help fight against an enemy. What enemy are you referring to?"**

"713 years ago, long before we legalised the abominable practice known as slavery, a young Asari maiden had recently graduated university and was celebrating on a holiday world," she began to explain, before her expression turned solemn, "that colony was attacked by Batarian slavers. She spent over a century as a pleasure slave. She saw her friends killed for sport, or just succumb to despair. So when she, by some miracle escaped, she wanted to make sure others would not suffer like that."

"You're preparing to fight the squints?" Jack asked.

"It is not in their nature to share power my dear. They will not rest until one day, all other races bow to them. All of the horrible things I did to you and the others, it was with the belief that you're suffering would prevent the suffering of countless others, Asari, human and others. Was it wrong to hold onto that kind of hope?"

"**We are not here for what you hoped to do. We are here for what you did." **He stated.

"Of course, when I first heard your statement at Ramiscus, I just knew. I knew that you would come here eventually, that you would hold us accountable." She said with a faint smile.

Reaper looked towards Jack, she was tensed up and rage, "you made my entire life hell!" She yelled, "and you give me a fucking sob story! You expect me to feel sorry for you?!"

The Asari gave her an incredulous look, "Jennifer. I don't even feel sorry for myself," she responded. Jack roared and launched a massive biotic blast. It soared inches from the matriarch's head creating a massive crater on the back wall.

"Damn you," Jack said, "you not even worth it now."

The scientist turned her gaze back to Reaper, "if you will permit a final word of advice. You claim you solely want to help your people…but I can see that you struggle with your hatred of us. If you cannot control that hatred young man, you will one day find yourself unable to differentiate between you and the monsters you wanted to stop."

_**This hypocritical bitch seeks to lecture us on morality…. We cannot come close to the agony she has inflicted on others…..but we can come close.**_

_She isn't wrong though, I let my rage get control of me before….. And I hurt people I cared about_

"**I understand," **he said.

"Then may the Goddess watch over your path." T'snaya downed the rest of her glass, "you're going to kill me now."

"**I just did," **Reaper said pointing at the bottle. T'snaya's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at it, **"I saw the bottle when I was in your office earlier. I don't know why I decided to put it in there, just felt like I should."**

"Is there any pain?" She asked, grimly. **"Not the mixture I used."**

The matriarch turned her attention back to Jack, "I know this must seem worthless to you but, I am so sorry for everything." She then slumped forward on her desk and breathed her last.

Jack stared at her for what felt like hours before she turned to face Reaper, "you got a lift out of here?" she asked.

* * *

**000**

* * *

An hour later he was standing next to Kaidan, watching as several soldiers in Iron-man suits checked over all the prisoners before escorting them up to the elevator and to the ships. Others were setting up charges around the structure.

One of the soldiers walked up to him, "that's almost all of them sir, some are too weak to even stand and we need to get some stretches down here,"

"**of course, but we are not finished soldier there is still a few hundred occupied cells,"**

The soldiers face couldn't be seen but Reaper got the impression he was frowning, "Sir there's no humans in those cells. Their fate shouldn't be our concern,"

_**he is right… Leave them to die…it is not like their species deserves any less**_

"Hey asshole," they turn to look at Jack who was leaning against the wall, "not that I care either way, but I should probably mention they weren't treated any different to the humans down here," she said.

"Why do we care what happens to them. Leave them here, let their own people come and save them," the soldier responded.

"**This is an illegal facility soldier. Their own people will kill them to ensure the truth of this place never gets out, we will evacuate them with the others."**

"But sir, what we can do with then. We can't take them back to the sanctuary worlds," the soldier said.

"No one in council space has the technology to detect our ships, we can drop them somewhere in their own territory, completely undetected," Kaidan jumped in.

"**All of the people down here soldier, human or alien, are victims. So we will evacuate them all and that its final." **


End file.
